Gypsy Dictionary [0]
Gypsy Dictionary
by George Borrow
ROMANO LAVO-LIL
WORD-BOOK OF THE ROMANY
OR, ENGLISH GYPSY LANGUAGE
WITH SPECIMENS OF GYPSY POETRY, AND AN
ACCONT OF CERTAIN GYPSYRIES OR
PLACES INHABITED BY THEM, AND
OF VARIOS THINGS RELATING TO
GYPSY LIFE IN ENGLAND.
by George Borrow
Contents:
The English Gypsy Language
Romano Lavo-Lil: Word-book of the Romany
Rhymed List of Gypsy Verbs
Betie Rokrapenes: Little Sayings
Cotorres of Mi-dibble's Lil. Chiv'd Adrey Romanes: Pieces of
Scripture cast into Romany
The Lord's Prayer in the Gypsy Dialect of Transylvania
Lil of Romano Jinnypen: Book of the Wisdom of the Egyptians
Romane Navior of Temes and Gavior: Gypsy Names of Countries and
Towns
Thomas Rossar-Mescro, or Thomas Herne
Kokkodus Artarus
Mang, Prala: Beg on, Brother
English Gypsy Songs
Welling Kattaney: The Gypsy Meeting
Lelling Cappi: Making a Fortune
The Dui Chalor: The Two Gypsies
Miro Romany Chi: My Roman Lass
Ava, Chi: Yes, my Girl
The Temeskoe Rye: The Youthful Earl
Camo-Gillie: Love Song
Tugnis Amande: Woe is me
The Rye and the Rawne: The Squire and Lady
Romany Suttur Gillie: Gypsy Lullaby
Sharrafi Kralyissa: Our Blessed Queen
Plastra Lesti: Run for it!
Foreign Gypsy Songs
The Romany Songstress
L'Erajai: The Frair
Malbrun: Malbrouk
The English Gypsies
Tugney Beshor: Sorrowful Years
Their History
Gypsy Names
Fortune-Telling
The Hukni
Cauring
Metropolitan Gypsyries
Wandsworth
The Potteries
The Mount
Ryley Bosvil
Kirk Yetholm
"Can you rokra Romany?
Can you play the bosh?
Can you jal adrey the staripen?
Can you chin the cost?"
"Can you speak the Roman tongue?
Can you play the fiddle?
Can you eat the prison-loaf?
Can you cut and whittle?"
The Author of the present work wishes to state that the Vocabulary,
which forms part of it, has existed in manuscript for many years. It
is one of several vocabularies of various dialects of the Gypsy
tongue, made by him in different countries. The most considerable--
that of the dialect of the Zincali or Rumijelies (Romany Chals) of
Spain--was published in the year 1841. Amongst those which remain
unpublished is one of the Transylvanian Gypsy, made principally at
Kolosvar in the year 1844.
December 1, 1873.
THE ENGLISH GYPSY LANGUAGE
The Gypsies of England call their language, as the Gypsies of many other countries call theirs, Romany or Romanes, a word either derived from the Indian Ram or Rama, which signifies a husband, or from the town Rome, which took its name either from the Indian Ram, or from the Gaulic word, Rom, which is nearly tantamount to husband or man, for as the Indian Ram means a husband or man, so does the Gaulic Pom signify that which constitutes a man and enables him to become a husband.
Before entering on the subject of the English Gypsy, I may perhaps be expected to say something about the original Gypsy tongue. It is, however, very difficult to say with certainty anything on the subject. There can be no doubt that a veritable Gypsy tongue at one time existed, but that it at present exists there is great doubt indeed. The probability is that the Gypsy at present exists only in dialects more or less like the language originally spoken by the Gypsy or Zingaro race. Several dialects of the Gypsy are to be found which still preserve along with a considerable number of seemingly original words certain curious grammatical forms, quite distinct from those of any other speech. Others are little more than jargons, in which a certain number of Gypsy words are accommodated to the grammatical forms of the languages of particular countries. In the foremost class of the purer Gypsy dialects, I have no hesitation in placing those of Russia, Wallachia, Bulgaria, and Transylvania. They are so alike, that he who speaks one of them can make himself very well understood by those who speak any of the rest; from whence it may reasonably be