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Subject: Eastern European Alphabet

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Cj Eastwood
Posts:230

05 Oct 2006 19:14	Alert
Very often on Romani sites I see certain articles written in English using the English alphabet, but when quoting words from the Romani language they write in an Eastern European alphabet. i.e. The Romani word for fire is often written as 'Jag'. The actual way this is spoken however, is 'Yahg'. The reason being is that in Eastern Europe 'j' is pronounced as 'y'. Many of the writers of the articles that are written in English have got their research via Vlax Romanis which has been written by Vlax Rom such as Kalderash who use the alphabet of their native lands in Eastern Europe. I wonder if the English Gahjo scholars looking into the Romani jib actually read the word as if it was spelt in English, lol.

bang30
Posts:1213

05 Oct 2006 23:41	Alert
hi cj:-)i just wonderd whats the contry with the the purest rumness and do there words match the english gypsy rumness?? and i think rumness for fire is yog most gypsys iv ever met say yog?? all the best ..rumny chall'

Cj Eastwood
Posts:230

06 Oct 2006 20:48	Alert
Sastipe I'm not sure which dialect of Romanis is the purest. I think each dialect can have differant parts of grammar or purer words that were spoken in the dialect that we all our common anchestors spoke upon arrival into Europe. i.e in Anglo-Romani we have maintained words like 'kushti' which is from the Persian word 'kush' meaning good only it has been mutated with the Indian originating Romani grammar of mascaline / femanine making it 'kushti' (feminine). Although Anglo Romani is just a shadow of the former language it used to be whereas other dialects are still very much part of the language spoken upon arrival into Europe, it still has kept some words that have been lost in others. Yog is the anglo-romanised word for fire. Yag is also recognised, but more with puro folki or in the welsh dialects. My Grandparents would say 'yag'. My father tended to use both. I also often hear 'Yog' to also mean to shoot someone. Other examples of Anglo Romani using 'o' instead of 'a' are Gorja - Gahje (non Romani) Kom - Kahm (love) Bori - Bahri (large) Pobbel - Pahbel (apple) Lolo - Lahlo (red) Totti - Tahtti (hot) Yok - Yahk (Eye) From what I know it is only in the UK that 'a' is replaced with 'o'. As far as I know, in all the other dialects 'a' is used. In the older Anglo-Romani dialect, 'a' was used. If a English Rom said Bori to a vlax Rom, then they would be saying 'bride'.

Cj Eastwood
Posts:230

06 Oct 2006 21:04	Alert
It is for this reason that I painfully try and learn the origins of the word within the Romani language as to discover the original language that was common to all the Roma, Cale and Sinte of Europe. It help teach us our families history. I appreciate the gaining of facts as it helps me to teach my sons about their anchestors with the comfortable feeling that the knowledge is accurate. There are a few Romanian words present in Anglo-Romani like bauri (snail) which suggests a connection with the Romanian Roma.

bang30
Posts:1213

06 Oct 2006 22:20	Alert
hi .. i think acsents has a lot to do with how you say words'' you mentioned the welsh gypsys'' as you know every travler has diferent acsents irish has there own scots and welsh england has a lot of diferent acsents .. but the funny thing about travlers is you can tell a irish or welsh or any other travler were they come from but they dont speak like the gorgers from there'' welsh do know a lot or true rumnes my family traveld all over with welsh gypses and as i say they do speak proper good rumness but it would be hard to say they pronounce romanis the way it should be seid cos there acsent is so hevey and strong that yog could have easy turned yog to yag and vice verse.. what do ya think? i do get what you say about learning the forin way so you get it proper and it is a good way but i dont think you could talk to a uk gypsy and say words like the forin gypses speak them..i dont think it would work in this contry? but i do agree that the knowledge is good to know and i dont blame you for learning it '' all the best'

Cj Eastwood
Posts:230

03 Aug 2007 22:39	Alert
Hi all, Something just occured to me so I thought I would add it on here. As the letter 'j' is pronounced as a 'y' in the Eastern European alphabet, they therefore do not have a 'j' so instead they write 'zh'. In some alphabets words starting with 'x' sound like words like they start with 'h'. Example of Romani words using the eastern European alphabet are; Gazho (non-Romani man) Zhuvli (female) jag (fire) Jekh (one) Zhal (go) Zhan (know) - 'like our jin' Zhukel (male dog) Zhukli (female dog) Xal (eat) - like our 'hal' Xaben (food) - 'like our haben / hobben' Xordo - small All the best Cj

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