Roma people 26152 226165707 2008-07-17T03:10:04Z Themightyquill 1212157 Reverted 1 edit by [[Special:Contributions/77.49.41.75|77.49.41.75]]; Republic of Macedonia. Get over it.. ([[WP:TW|TW]]) {{Infobox Ethnic group |group = Roma |image = [[Image:Khamoro Roma Festival 2007 Prague.jpg|260px]] |image_caption = Khamoro Roma Festival Prague 2007 |flag = [[Image:Roma flag.svg|100px]] |flag_caption = [[Flag of the Roma people]] |pop = 15 million or more |region1 = {{flagcountry|IND}} |pop1 = 5,794,000 |ref1 = {{lower|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joshuaproject.net/peopctry.php?rop3=111445&rog3=IN|title=Banjara, Hindu of India|publisher=Joshua Project|accessdate=2007-10-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/people/lambani.htm |title=Lambanis or Gypsies |publisher=Kamat |accessdate=2007-10-03}}</ref>}} |region2 = {{flagcountry|Turkey}} |pop2 = '''Disputed:'''<br>700,000 or<br>3,000,000-5,000,000 |ref2 = {{lower|<ref name="Turkey">No official count; estimate from [http://goc.bilgi.edu.tr/documents/rapor.pdf ''Reaching the Romanlar—A Feasibility Study Report''] (International Romani Studies Network), Istanbul: 2006, p.13. See also [http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=17&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ihf-hr.org%2Fviewbinary%2Fviewdocument.php%3Fdoc_id%3D7081&ei=ZGh8Ra6PIojWgwPswYSGBg&usg=__JjkO-H9UILip7K609hgW3xYUCrs=&sig2=_7Mb8m_IyYqfWqm_xLJmyQ ''Turkey: A Minority Policy of Systematic Negation''] ([[International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights|IHF]] report) and {{cite web |url=http://webarsiv.hurriyet.com.tr/2005/05/08/639714.asp |title=''AB ülkeleriyle ortak bir noktamız daha ÇİNGENELER'' |accessmonthday=September 23 |accessyear=2006 |last=SERİN |first=Ayten |date=08-05-2005 |publisher=[[Hürriyet]]}}</ref><ref> [http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0609/p20s01-woeu.html?page=2 There are an estimated 3 million to 5 million Roma in Turkey, ''6/9/2008 The Christian Science Monitor]</ref><ref>[http://www.milliyet.com.tr/default.aspx?aType=SonDakika&Kategori=yasam&ArticleID=873452&Date=07.06.2008&ver=16 Türkiyedeki Kürtlerin Sayısı! (Number of Kurds in Turkey!)]: Bunların arasında çingeneler 700 binlik nüfusuyla başı çekiyor.</ref>}} |region3 = {{flagcountry|Romania}} |pop3 = '''Disputed:'''<br>535,250<br>(official census)<br>Other estimations:<br>700,000–2,500,000 |ref3 ={{lower|<ref>{{cite web|title=2002 census: Population by ethnicity|language=[[Romanian language|Romanian]]|url=http://www.recensamant.ro/pagini/tabele/t47.pdf|accessdate=2007-08-26|notes=The 2002 census gives a total of 535,250 Roma in Romania. This figure is disputed by other sources, because at the local level, many Roma declare a different ethnicity (Romanian, but also especially Hungarian in the West and Turkish in Dobruja). International sources give higher figures than the official census.|format=PDF}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edrc.ro/docs/docs/Romii_din_Romania.pdf|title=Romii din România|language=[[Romanian language|Romanian]]|publisher=Centrul de Resurse pentru Diversitate Etnocultuală|accessdate=2007-08-26|format=PDF}}</ref><ref name="undp"/><br /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/EXTROMA/0,,contentMDK:20333806~menuPK:615999~pagePK:64168445~piPK:64168309~theSitePK:615987,00.html |publisher=World Bank|title=WORLD BANK INVOLVEMENT IN ROMA ISSUES|month=June|year=2006|accessdate=2007-08-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/publications/msd/journal/issue25/25-pages154-164.pdf|format=PDF| journal=Social Policy Journal of New Zealand|issue=25|year=2005|month=July|first=Chungui |last=Qiao |title=Iaos Satellite Meeting: Measuring Small And Indigenous Populations”}}</ref>}}<ref>[http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/rumaenien_sieht_ende_starker_auswanderung_1.698521.html Rumänien sieht Ende starker Auswanderung (Schweiz, NZZ Online)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |region4 = {{flagcountry|Spain}} |pop4 = 600,000 to 800,000 <br>or 1,500,000 |ref4 = {{lower|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/spain/41.htm|publisher=U.S. Library of Congress|title=Spain - The Gypsies|accessdate=2007-08-26}}</ref><ref>1,500,000 Roma estimated by the [[Society for Threatened Peoples]] [http://www.gfbv.it/3dossier/sinti-rom/img/n7a.jpg ]</ref>}} |region5 = {{flagcountry|France}} |pop5 = 500,000 (official estimation) <br> to 1,200,000-1,300,000 |ref5 = {{lower|<ref>[http://www.euractiv.com/en/security/situation-roma-france-crisis-proportions-report/article-150507 Report by the European Roma Rights Centre]</ref><ref>[http://www.errc.org/db/01/A1/m000001A1.pdf Full Report by the European Roma Rights Centre]</ref>}} |region6 = {{flagcountry|United States}} |pop6 = 1,000,000 (Roma organizations' estimations) |ref6 = {{lower|<ref>[http://www.web4desi.com/Articles/36-ArticlesbyJorgeMFernandezBernal/52-the-rom-in-the-americas Estimation by SKOKRA (The Council of the Kumpanias and Organizations of the Americas) and Romani Union]</ref>}} |region7 = {{flagcountry|Brazil}} |pop7 = 678,000–1,000,000 |ref7 = {{lower|<ref>[http://www.presidencia.gov.br/seppir/informativos/not/001.htm Official data: 678,000]<br>[http://www.web4desi.com/Articles/36-ArticlesbyJorgeMFernandezBernal/52-the-rom-in-the-americas?start=2 800,000 -1,000,000 in ''The Rom of the Americas'' (chapter Brazil), by Jorge M. Fernandez Bernal]</ref>}} |region8 = {{flagcountry|Hungary}} |pop8 = '''Disputed:''' 205,720&nbsp;(official census);<br>Other estimations:<br>450,000-1,000,000|ref6 = {{lower|<ref>[http://www.nepszamlalas.hu/eng/volumes/06/00/tabeng/1/load01_10_0.html 2001 census Hungary]</ref>}}<br/>{{lower|11px|<ref>{{cite news|title=Budapest Journal; A Real Voice, at Last, for Hungary's Pariah People|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F01E0DD133BF936A35750C0A9679C8B63&scp=3&sq=Roma+Hungary&st=nyt|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=2001-03-05}}</ref>}}<br/>{{lower|17px|<ref>{{cite book |publisher=DEMOS Hungary |title=Hungary's Strategic Audit 2005| page=45|year=2005 |isbn=9632190300 |url=http://www.demos.hu/index.php?name=OE-DocManager&file=download&id=19&keret=N&showheader=N |format=PDF |accessdate=2007-08-26}}</ref>}}<br/>{{lower|11px|<ref>{{cite web|title=PRESS CONFERENCE|url=http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2007/070129_Holocaust_Exhibit.doc.htm|work=[[United Nations]]|date=2007-01-29}}</ref><br><ref>[http://www.nepszamlalas.hu/eng/volumes/06/00/tabeng/1/load01_10_0.html Population Census 2001 – National and county data – Summary Data<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/2000/09/21/qanda.2.t.php Hungary acknowledges the need for progress regarding its population of 500,000 to 1 million Roma, or Gypsies]</ref>}}<!-- end of "lower" template --> |region9 = {{flagcountry|Bulgaria}} |pop9 = '''Disputed:''' 370,908 (official census) to 700,000–800,000 |ref9 = {{lower|<ref> According to the last official census in 2001 370,908 Bulgarian citizens define their identity as Roma (official results [http://www.nsi.bg/Census_e/Ethnos.htm here]). 313,000 self-declared in 1992 census (Elena Marushiakova and Vesselin Popov, ''The Gypsies of Bulgaria: Problems of the Multicultural Museum Exhibition'' (1995), cited in [http://www.geocities.com/~patrin/bulgaria-hstry.htm Patrin Web Journal]). According to Marushiakova and Popov, "The Roma in Bulgaria", Sofia, 1993, the people who declared Roma identity in 1956 were about 194,000; in 1959, 214,167; in 1976, 373,200; because of the obvious and significant difference between the number of Bulgarian citizens with Roma self-identification and this of the large total population with physical appearance and cultural particularity similar to Roma in 1980 the authorities took special census of all people, defined as Roma through the opinions of the neighbouring population, observations of their way of life, cultural specificity, etc. - 523,519; in the 1989 the authorities counted 576,927 people as Roma, but noted that more than a half of them preferred and declared Turkish identity (pages 92–93). According to the rough personal assumption of Marushiakova and Popov the total number of all people with Roma ethic identity plus all people of Roma origin with different ethnic self-identification around 1993 was about 800,000 (pages 94–95). Similar supposition Marushiakova and Popov made in 1995: estimate 750,000&nbsp;±50,000. Some international sources mention the estimates of some unnamed experts, who suggest 700,000–800,000 or higher than figures in the official census ([[UNDP]]'s Regional Bureau for Europe<ref name="undp"/>). These mass non-Roma ethnic partialities are confirmed in the light of the last census in 2001—more than 300,000 Bulgarian citizens of Roma origin traditionally declare their ethnic identity as [[Turkish people|Turkish]] or [[Bulgarians|Bulgarian]]. Other statistics: 450,000 estimated in 1990 ([http://countrystudies.us/bulgaria/25.htm U.S. Library of Congress study]); at least 553,466 cited in a confidential census by the Ministry of the Interior in 1992 (cf Marushiakova and Popov 1995).</ref>}} |region10 = {{flagcountry|Slovakia}} |pop10 = '''Disputed:''' 92,500 or 550,000 |ref10 = {{lower|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/04/14/eu.slovakia.roma/|title=Slovakia seeks help on Roma issue|first=Fionnuala|last=Sweeney|date=2004-04-16|accessdate=2007-08-26|publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/lo.html|title=The CIA World Factbook: Slovakia|date=2007-08-16|accessdate=2007-08-26|publisher=[[Central Intelligence Agency]]}}</ref>}} |region11 = {{flagcountry|Serbia}} |pop11 = '''Disputed:''' 108,193 (official census)<br> 500,000 estimated (540,000 incl. [[Kosovo]]) |ref11 = {{lower|<ref name="undp">{{cite web|title=2002 census not including Kosovo|url=http://europeandcis.undp.org/uploads/public/File/rbec_web/vgr/chapter1.1.pdf|publisher=[[UNDP]] Regional Bureau for Europe|format=PDF|accessdate=2007-08-26}}</ref>}} |region12 = {{flagcountry|Russia}} |pop12 = '''Disputed:''' 183,000<br> to 400,000 |ref12 = {{lower|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.perepis2002.ru/ct/html/TOM_04_01.htm|publisher=perepis2002.ru|title=НАЦИОНАЛЬНЫЙ СОСТАВ НАСЕЛЕНИЯ (National Population - 2002 Russian Census)|accessdate=2007-08-26|language=[[Russian language|Russian]]|note=recorded 182,766 Roma}}</ref><ref name="rtv2">{{cite book|first=Jean-Pierre|last=Liégeois|title=Roma, Tsiganes, Voiageurs|page=34|publisher=Conseil de l'Europe|year=1994|language=[[French language|French]]|note=cites 220,000–400,000 Roma in Russia}}</ref><ref>Independent estimates range from 5 to 6 million Roma in Russia{{Fact|date=February 2007}}.</ref>}} |region13 = {{flagcountry|Greece}} |pop13 = '''Disputed:''' 200,000<br>or 300,000–350,000 |ref13 = {{lower|<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nchr.gr/category.php?category_id=99|title=The State of the Roma in Greece |publisher=Hellenic Republic - National Commission for Human Rights |date=2001-11-29 |accessdate=2007-08-26}}</ref>}}<br/> {{lower|11px|<ref>{{cite journal|publisher=[[International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights|IHF]]|url=http://www.ihf-hr.org/viewbinary/viewdocument.php?doc_id=6399|format=[[Microsoft Word]]|title=The Situation of Roma in Selected Western European Countries: Report to the OSCE Conference on Anti-Semitism and on other Forms of Intolerance Cordoba, Spain, June 8-9, 2005|year=2005|month=June|pages=13|quote=300,000 to 350,000|accessdate=2007-08-26}}</ref>}} |region14 = {{flagcountry|Ukraine}} |pop14 = 48,000 (census 2002); 400,000 (estimated by Roma organizations) |ref14 = {{lower|<ref>[http://www.ukrcensus.gov.ua/eng/results/nationality_population/nationality_1/s5/?botton=cens_db&box=5.1W&k_t=00&p=120&rz=1_1&rz_b=2_1%20%20%20&n_page=7 Ukrainian census 2002]</ref>}} |region15 = {{flagcountry|Argentina}} |pop15 = 300,000 |ref15 = {{lower|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=1847|title=Emerging Roma Voices from Latin America|date=2004-11-16|first=Druzhemira|last=Tchileva|publisher=European Roma Rights Centre}}</ref><br><ref>[http://www.web4desi.com/Articles/36-ArticlesbyJorgeMFernandezBernal/52-the-rom-in-the-americas?start=1 Jorge M. Fernandez Bernal, ''The Rom of the Americas'' (chapter Argentina)]</ref>}} |region16 = {{flagcountry|Czech Republic}} |pop16 = '''Disputed:''' 11,746<br>or 220,000 to 300,000 |ref16 = {{lower|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.czso.cz/sldb/sldb2001.nsf/tabx/CZ0000|language=[[Czech language|Czech]]|title=Sčítaní lidu, domů a bytů 2001 (2001 census)|year=2005|accessdate=2007-08-26|publisher=Český statistický úřad}}</ref>}}<br/> {{lower|<ref>[http://www.romnews.com/community/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=945 By James Palmer]</ref>}}<br/> {{lower|11px|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://skola.romea.cz/cz/index.php?id=historie/14|title=Romové v České republice po roce 1989|publisher=Vzdělávací cyklus o Romech|accessdate=2007-08-26|first=Petr|last=Lhotka}}</ref>}} |region17 = {{flagcountry|Republic of Macedonia|name=Rep.&nbsp;Macedonia}} |pop17 = '''Disputed:''' 53,879<br>to 260,000 |ref17 = {{lower|<ref>{{cite web|notes=53,879|url=http://www.stat.gov.mk/pdf/kniga_13.pdf|title=Census of population, households and dwellings in the Republic of Macedonia, 2002|language=[[Macedonian language|Macedonian]], [[English language|English]]|year=2005|month=May|publisher=Republic of Macedonia State Statistical Office|format=PDF}}</ref><ref name="undp"/>}} |region18 = {{flagcountry|Germany}} |pop18 = 110,000–130,000 |ref18 = {{lower|<ref name="rtv" />}} |region19 = {{flagcountry|Albania}} |pop19 = '''Disputed:''' 1,300 to 120,000 |ref19 = {{lower|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greekhelsinki.gr/pdf/cedime-se-albania-roma.doc|format=[[Microsoft Word]]|publisher=Center for Documentation and Information on Minorities in Europe - Southeast Europe (CEDIME-SE)|title=MINORITIES IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE: Roma of Albania|month=August|year=2000}}</ref>}} |region20 = {{flagcountry|Iran}} |pop20 = 110,000 |ref20 = {{lower|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.domresearchcenter.com/population/popiran.html|title=Iran Gypsy Population|publisher=Dom Research Center|accessdate=2007-08-26}}</ref>}} |region21 = {{flagcountry|Italy}} |pop21 = 90,000–110,000 |ref21 = {{lower|<ref name="rtv">{{cite book|first=Jean-Pierre|last=Liégeois|title=Roma, Tsiganes, Voiageurs|page=34|publisher=Conseil de l'Europe|year=1994|language=[[French language|French]]}}</ref>}} |region22 = {{flagcountry|Canada}} |pop22 = 80,000 |ref22 = {{lower|<ref name="roma-canada">{{cite web|url=http://home.cogeco.ca/~rcctoronto/pdfs/fs08canada.pdf Roma in Canada fact sheet|title=ROMA IN CANADA|publisher=Roma Community Centre|first=Ronald|last=Lee|month=October|year=1998}}</ref>}} |region23 = {{flagcountry|Colombia}} |pop23 = 79,000 |ref23 = {{lower|<ref>= Romani Vlax by country [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=rmy]</ref>}} |region24 = {{flagcountry|Portugal}} |pop24 = 40,000 |ref24 = {{lower|<ref>The ''Ciganos''. Estimate by the [http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=398 European Roma Rights Centre]</ref>}} |region25 = {{flagcountry|Poland}} |pop25 = 15,000 to 50,000 |ref25 = {{lower|<ref>American studies of the Gypsies in Poland [http://countrystudies.us/poland/32.htm]</ref>}} |region26 = . |pop26 = '''[[Roma people by country|more countries]]''' |ref26 = . |languages = [[Romany language|Romany]], languages of native region |religions = Romanipen, combined with assimilations from local religions |related-c = [[South Asia]]ns ([[Desi]]) }} {{dablink|This article is about the [[Indo-Aryan]] ethnic group. For the unrelated [[Latin (demonym)|Latin]] ethnic group, see [[Romanians]].}} The '''Romani people'''<ref>Hancock, Ian, 2001, Ame sam e rromane džene / We are the Romani People, The Open Society Institute, New York, page 2</ref><ref>Matras, Yaron, Romani: A linguistic introduction, Cambridge University Press, 2002, page 5</ref> (singular '''Rom''', plural '''Roma''' as a [[noun]]; also known as '''Romanies''' or '''Romani people''') are an ethnic group with origins in [[India]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Donald |last=Kenrick |title=Historical Dictionary of the Gypsies (Romanies) |publisher=Scarecrow Press |year=1998 |isbn=0-8108-3444-8 }}</ref><ref>[http://romove.radio.cz/en/article/18158 The History and Origin of the Roma]</ref>. This widely dispersed ethnic group lives across the world, not only in [[Eurasia]],<ref>[http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?id=308 The Roma of Eastern Europe: Still Searching for Inclusion]</ref> but also in the [[Americas]] and the [[Middle East]]. They are often referred to as ''[[Gypsy|Gypsies]]'' or ''Gipsies''. ==Population== [[Image:Eurogipsy.PNG|thumb|left|Roma people in [[Europe]]]] Worldwide there is an estimated population of at least 15 million Romanies<ref>Estimated population from adding the sourced population numbers from the article [[Romani people by country]]. Note that some countries with Romani populations are not included, where reliable sources could not be found, and that many of the sources are outdated or supply only partial information about Roma groups in a certain country.</ref>. The official number of Romani people is disputed in many countries.<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-02-01-roma-europe_x.htm European effort spotlights plight of the Roma]</ref> Because many Romanies often refuse to register their ethnic identity in official censuses for fear of discrimination<ref>{{cite web|url=http://other-news.info/index.php?p=172#more-172|title=It Now Suits the EU to Help the Roma|date=2004-09-29|first=Marian|last=Chiriac|publisher=other-news.info}}</ref>, unofficial estimates are undertaken in efforts to reveal their true numbers. The largest population of Romanies is found in the [[Balkan peninsula]]; significant numbers also live in the [[Americas]], the former [[Soviet Union]], [[Western Europe]], the [[Middle East]], and [[North Africa]]. The Romanies recognize divisions among themselves based in part on territorial, cultural and [[dialect]]al differences. The main branches are<ref>Hancock, Ian, 2001, Ame sam e rromane džene / We are the Romani People, The Open Society Institute, New York, page 2</ref><ref>Matras, Yaron, Romani: A linguistic introduction, Cambridge University Press, 2002, page 5</ref>: # [[Roma]] crystallized in Eastern Europe and Central Italy, emigrated also (mostly from the [[19th century]] onwards), in the rest of Europe, but also on the other continents; # [[Caló (Spanish Romani)|Iberian Kale]] in Iberian Peninsula, emigrated also in Southern [[France]] and [[Latin America]]; # [[Finnish Kale]], in Finland, emigrated also in [[Sweden]]; # [[Kale (Welsh Romanies)|Welsh Kale]] in Wales; # [[Romnichal]], in the [[United Kingdom]], emigrated also to the [[United States]] and [[Australia]]; # [[Sinti]], in German-speaking areas of Central Europe; # [[Manush]], in France. Among Roma there are further internal differentiations, like Bashaldé; Churari; [[Luri]]; Ungaritza; [[Lovari]] ([[Lovara]]) from [[Hungary]]; [[Machvaya]] (Machavaya, [[Machwaya]], or [[Macwaia]]) from [[Serbia]]; [[Romungro]] ([[Modyar]] or [[Modgar]]) from [[Hungary]] and neighbouring [[Carpathian Mountains|carpathian]] countries; Erlides (also ''Yerlii'' or ''Arli''); [[Xoraxai]] ([[Horahane]]) from [[Greece]]/[[Turkey]]; [[Boyash]] (Lingurari, [[Ludar]], Ludari, Rudari, or Zlătari) from [[Romania]]n/[[Moldova]]n [[miner]]s; [[Ursari]] from Romanian/Moldovan [[Animal training#Wild animals|bear-trainer]]s; Argintari from [[silversmith]]s; Aurari from [[goldsmith]]s; Florari from [[florist]]s;, and [[Lăutari]] from [[singer]]s. == Origins == The absence of a written history has meant that the origin and early history of the Roma people was long an enigma. As early as 200 years ago, cultural scholars hypothesised an Indian origin of the Roma based on linguistic evidence<ref>{{cite book |isbn=978-0631196051 |title=Gypsies (Peoples of Europe) |edition=2nd edition |first=Angus |last=Fraser |publisher=Blackwell, Oxford |date=1995-02-01 }}</ref>. Genetic information confirms this. Although the [[Nazis]] claimed that the Gypsies were not [[Aryan]], some members of the Gypsy Lore Society (established in 1888 in England) claimed that the Gypsies were the most ancient Aryans and "sought to protect them from mixing with non-Gypsy elements and from modernization...".<ref> P. 17 ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=k9wKqd_Qq3sC&pg=PA17&sig=DJdsdmd_SZT4y-FJo_c0D6oyTcw Germany and Its Gypsies: A Post-Auschwitz Ordeal]'' By Gilad Margalit </ref> ===Linguistic evidence=== Until the mid to late eighteenth century, theories of the origin of the Roma were mostly speculative. Then in 1782, Johann Christian Christoph Rüdiger published his research that pointed out the relationship between the [[Romani language]] and [[Hindustani]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.llc.manchester.ac.uk/Research/Projects/romani/downloads/1/ruediger_translation.pdf |title=On the Indic Language and Origin of the Gypsies |author=Johann Christian Christoph Rüdiger |format=PDF }}</ref>. Subsequent work supported the hypothesis that Romani shared a common origin with the Indo-Aryan languages of Northern India,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://romani.uni-graz.at/romani/ling/rom_gen.en.shtml |first=Dieter W. |last=Halwachs |title=Romani - An Attempting Overview |date=2004-04-21 |accessdate=2007-08-26 }}</ref> with Romani grouping most closely with [[Sinhalese language|Sinhalese]] in a recent study<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v426/n6965/pdf/nature02029.pdf |author=Gray, R.D. and Atkinson, Q.D. |title=Language-tree divergence times support the Anatolian theory of Indo-European origin |format=PDF }}</ref>. The majority of historians accepted this as evidence of an Indian origin for the Roma, but some maintained that the Roma acquired the language through contact with Indian merchants<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comm.unt.edu/histofperf/christiwells/topic_one.htm |author=Christina Wells |title=Introduction to Gypsies |date=2003-11-13 |accessdate=2007-08-26 |publisher=[[University of North Texas]] }}</ref>. ===Genetic evidence=== Further evidence for the Indian origin of the Roma came in the late 1990s when it was discovered that Roma populations carried large frequencies of particular [[Y chromosome]]s (inherited paternally) and [[mitochondrial DNA]] (inherited maternally) that otherwise exist only in populations from [[South Asia]]. 47.3% of Roma men carry Y chromosomes of [[Haplogroup H (Y-DNA)|haplogroup H-M82]] which is otherwise rare outside of the [[Indian subcontinent]]<ref name="kalaydjieva">{{cite journal |url=http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/112092786/PDFSTART |title=A Newly Discovered Founder Population: The Roma/Gypsies |author=Kalaydjieva, L.; Morar, B.; Chaix, R. and Tang, H. (2005) |journal=BioEssays volume=27|pages=1084–1094 }}</ref>. Mitochondrial [[Haplogroup M (mtDNA)|haplogroup M]], most common in Indian subjects and rare outside Southern Asia, accounts for nearly 30% of Roma people<ref name="kalaydjieva"/>. A more detailed study of Polish Roma shows this to be of the M5 lineage, which is specific to India<ref>{{cite journal |doi= 10.1111/j.1529-8817.2005.00222.x |title=Mitochondrial DNA Diversity in the Polish Roma |author=Malyarchuk, B.A.; Grzybowski, T.; Derenko, M.V.; Czarny, J. and Miscicka-Slivvka, D. (2006) |journal=Annals of Human Genetics|volume=70|pages=195–206 |year=2006 }}</ref>. Moreover, a form of the inherited disorder [[Myasthenia gravis|congenital myasthenia]] is found in Romani subjects. This form of the disorder, caused by the 1267delG mutation, is otherwise only known in subjects of Indian ancestry. This is considered to be the best evidence of the Indian ancestry of the Romanies.<ref name = Bharti_Morar>{{Citation | title = Mutation history of the roma-gypsies | url = http://lib.bioinfo.pl/pmid:15322984 | accessdate = 2008-06-16}}</ref> The Roma have been described as ''a conglomerate of genetically isolated founder populations''<ref name = Luba_Kalaydjieva>{{Citation | title = Genetic studies of the Roma (Gypsies): a review | url = http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2350/2/5 | accessdate = 2008-06-16 | doi = 10.1186/1471-2350-2-5 | year = 2001 | author = Kalaydjieva, Luba | journal = BMC Medical Genetics | volume = 2 | pages = 5}}</ref>, while a number of common Mendelian disorders among Romanies from all over Europe indicates ''a common origin and founder effect''.<ref name = Luba_Kalaydjieva>{{Citation | title = Genetic studies of the Roma (Gypsies): a review | url = http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2350/2/5 | accessdate = 2008-06-16}}</ref> See also this table: <ref>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2350/2/5/figure/F4</ref> A study from 2001 by Gresham et al. suggests ''a limited number of related founders, compatible with a small group of migrants splitting from a distinct caste or tribal group''.<ref name = David_Gresham>{{Citation | title = Origins and Divergence of the Roma (Gypsies) | url = http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1235543 | accessdate = 2008-06-16 | pmid = 11704928}}</ref> Also the study pointed out that ''genetic drift and different levels and sources of admixture, appear to have played a role in the subsequent differentiation of populations''.<ref name = David_Gresham>{{Citation | title = Origins and Divergence of the Roma (Gypsies) | url = http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1235543 | accessdate = 2008-06-16 | pmid = 11704928}}</ref> More interesting, the same study found that ''a single lineage ... found across Romani populations, accounts for almost one-third of Romani males. A similar preservation of a highly resolved male lineage has been reported elsewhere only for Jewish priests''.<ref name = David_Gresham>{{Citation | title = Origins and Divergence of the Roma (Gypsies) | url = http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1235543 | accessdate = 2008-06-16 | pmid = 11704928}}</ref> See also the [[Y-chromosomal Aaron| Cohen Modal Haplotype]]. A 2004 study by Morar et all concluded that the Roma are ''a founder population of common origins that has subsequently split into multiple socially divergent and geographically dispersed Gypsy groups''.<ref name = Bharti_Morar>{{Citation | title = Mutation history of the roma-gypsies | url = http://lib.bioinfo.pl/pmid:15322984 | accessdate = 2008-06-16}}</ref>The same study revealed that this population ''was founded approximately 32-40 generations ago, with secondary and tertiary founder events occurring approximately 16-25 generations ago''.<ref name = Bharti_Morar>{{Citation | title = Mutation history of the roma-gypsies | url = http://lib.bioinfo.pl/pmid:15322984 | accessdate = 2008-06-16}}</ref> ==History== {{main|History of the Romani people}} <!--please add new information to the History of the Roma people article--> [[Image:Movimiento gitano.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The migration of the Roma through the [[Middle East]] and [[Northern Africa]] to Europe]] [[Image:Spiezer Schilling 749.jpg|thumb|200px|left|First arrival of the Roma outside [[Berne]] in the [[15th century|15<sup>th</sup> century]], described by the chronicler as ''getoufte heiden'' ("baptized heathens") and drawn with dark skin and wearing [[Saracen]]-style clothing and weapons ([[Spiezer Schilling]], p. 749).]] Linguistic and genetic evidence indicates the Roma originated from the [[Indian subcontinent]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/seta/2005/11/17/stories/2005111700041500.htm|title=Gypsies — the dalits of European continent|publisher=[[The Hindu]]|date=2005-11-17|first=D.|last=Balasubramanian|accessdate=2007-08-26}}</ref> The cause of the Roma [[diaspora]] is unknown. However, the most probable conclusion is that the Roma were part of the military in [[North India|Northern India]]. When there were repeated raids by [[Mahmud of Ghazni]] and these soldiers were defeated, they were moved west with their families into the [[Byzantine Empire]]. This occurred between 1000 and 1050 CE. This departure date is assumed because, linguistically speaking, the Romany language is a New Indo-Aryan language (NIA)--it has only two [[grammatical gender|genders]] (masculine and feminine). Until around the year 1000, the Indo-Aryan languages, named [[Middle Indo-Aryan]] (MIA), had three genders (masculine, feminine and neuter). By the turn of the 2nd millennium they changed into the NIA phase, losing the neuter gender. Most of the neuter nouns became masculine while a few feminine, like the neuter अग्नि (agni) in the Prakrit became the feminine आग (āg) in Hindi and ''jag'' in Romany. The parallels in grammatical gender evolution between Romany and other NIA languages is proposed to prove that the change occurred in the Indian subcontinent. It is therefore not considered possible that the Romas' ancestors left India prior to 1000 CE. They then stayed in the Byzantine Empire for several hundred years. However, the Muslim expansion, mainly made by the [[Seljuq dynasty|Seljuk Turks]], into the Byzantine Empire recommenced the movement of the Roma people.<ref>{{cite book|first=Vagish |last=Shastri|title=Migration of Aryans from India|publisher=Yogic Voice Consciousness Institute|location=Varanasi|year=2007}}</ref> The [[Banjara]] people, numbering around 2,274,000 in [[India]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joshuaproject.net/peopctry.php?rop3=111445&rog3=IN|title=Banjara, Hindu of India|publisher=Joshua Project|accessdate=2007-10-03}}</ref> are Gypsies<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/people/lambani.htm|title=Lambanis or Gypsies|publisher=Kamat|accessdate=2007-10-03}}</ref> who claim that they, too, are descended from the [[Rajputs]], and that many of their ancestors left India through the [[Himalaya]]s and never returned. For this reason, the Banjara are considered related to the Romani people.<ref>{{cite book|first=Ian|last=Hancock|title=Ame Sam e Rromane Džene/We are the Romani people|page=13|isbn=1902806190}}</ref> Many historians believe{{Facts|date=June 2008}} that the Muslim conquerors of northern India took the Roma as [[Slave trade|slave]]s and marched them home over the unforgiving terrain of Central Asia, taking great tolls on the population and thereby giving rise to such designations as the [[Hindu Kush]] mountains of present-day [[Pakistan]] and [[Afghanistan]]. Mahmud of Ghazni reportedly took 500,000 prisoners during a [[Turkic peoples|Turkish]]/[[Persian Empire|Persian]] invasion of [[Sindh]] and [[Punjab region|Punjab]]. Others suggest the Roma were originally low-[[caste]] [[Hindus]] recruited into an army of [[mercenaries]], granted [[ksatriya|warrior caste]] status, and sent westward to resist [[Islamic]] military expansion. In either case, upon arrival, they became a distinct community. Why the Roma did not return to India, choosing instead to travel west into Europe, is an enigma, but may relate to military service under the Muslims. Contemporary scholars have suggested that one of the first written references to the Roma, under the term ''"Atsinganoi"'', ([[Greek language|Greek]]), dates from the Byzantine era during a time of [[famine]] in the 9<sup>th</sup> century. In 800 CE, [[Athanasia of Aegina|Saint Athanasia]] gave food to "foreigners called the Atsinganoi" near [[Thrace]]. Later, in 803 CE, [[Theophanes the Confessor]] wrote that Emperor [[Nicephorus I|Nikephoros I]] had the help of the ''"Atsinganoi"'' to put down a riot with their "knowledge of magic". ''"Atsingani"'' was used to refer to itinerant fortune tellers, [[ventriloquism|ventriloquists]] and wizards who visited the Emperor [[Constantine IX]] in the year 1054.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kuviyam.com/scr/index.asp?pLang=E&pHead=90&pMenu=1&pIssue=31|title=The Lost Tribes of India|first=Jeetan|last=Sareen|accessdate=2007-08-26|publisher=Kuviyam}}</ref> The [[hagiographical]] text, ''The Life of St. George the Anchorite,'' mentions that the ''"Atsingani"'' were called on by Constantine to help rid his forests of the wild animals which were killing his livestock. They are later described as sorcerers and evildoers and accused of trying to poison the Emperor's favorite hound. In 1322 CE a [[Franciscan]] [[monk]] named [[Simon Simeonis]] described people resembling these "atsinganoi" living in [[Crete]] and in 1350 CE [[Ludolphus of Sudheim]] mentioned a similar people with a unique language whom he called ''Mandapolos'', a word which some theorize was possibly derived from the Greek word ''mantes'' (meaning [[prophet]] or [[fortune teller]]).<ref>{{cite newsgroup | title = gypsies | author = Linda Anfuso | date= 1994-02-24 | newsgroup = rec.org.sca | id = PaN9Hc2w165w@tinhat.stonemarche.org | url = http://www.florilegium.org/files/CULTURES/Gypsies-msg.html | accessdate = 2007-08-26 }}</ref> Around 1360, an independent Romani [[fiefdom]] (called the ''Feudum Acinganorum'') was established in [[Corfu]] and became "a settled community and an important and established part of the economy."<ref>{{cite web|title=A Chronology of significant dates in Romani history|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20041204203106/radoc.net/chronology.html|archivedate=2004-12-04|url=http://www.radoc.net:8088/chronology.html}}</ref> By the 14th century, the Roma had reached the [[Balkans]]; by 1424 CE, [[Germany]]; and by the 16th century, [[Scotland]] and [[Sweden]]. Some Roma [[migrated]] from Persia through North Africa, reaching the [[Iberian Peninsula]] in the 15th century. The two currents met in [[France]]. Roma began immigrating to the [[United States]] in colonial times, with small groups in [[Virginia]] and [[Louisiana (New France)|French Louisiana]]. Larger-scale immigration began in the 1860s, with groups of Romnichal from Britain. The largest number immigrated in the early 1900s, mainly from the Vlax group of Kalderash. Many Roma also settled in [[South America]]. [[Image:NadezhdaSliven.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Roma in [[Sliven]], [[Bulgaria]] ]] When the Roma people arrived in Europe, curiosity was soon followed by hostility and [[xenophobia]]. Roma were enslaved for five centuries in [[Wallachia]] and [[Moldavia]] until [[abolition of slavery|abolition]] in 1864. Elsewhere in Europe, they were subject to [[ethnic cleansing]], abduction of their children, and [[forced labor]]. During [[World War II]], the [[Nazism|Nazis]] murdered 200,000 to 800,000 Roma in an attempted [[genocide]] known as the ''[[Porajmos]]''. They were marked for extermination and sentenced to forced labor and imprisonment in [[concentration camp]]s. They were often killed on sight, especially by the [[Einsatzgruppen]] (essentially mobile killing units) on the Eastern Front. In [[Communism|Communist]] Eastern Europe, Roma experienced assimilation schemes and restrictions of cultural freedom. The Romany language and [[Romani music]] were banned from public performance in [[Bulgaria]]. In [[Czechoslovakia]], they were labeled a "socially degraded stratum," and Roma women were sterilized as part of a state policy to reduce their population. This policy was implemented with large financial incentives, threats of denying future social welfare payments, misinformation or after administering drugs (Silverman 1995; [[Helsinki Watch]] 1991). An official inquiry from the Czech Republic, resulting in a report (December 2005), concluded that the Communist authorities had practised an assimilation policy towards Roma, which "included efforts by social services to control the birth rate in the Romani community" and that "the problem of sexual sterilisation carried out in the Czech Republic, either with improper motivation or illegally, exists" <ref>{{cite news|date=2007-03-12|first=Marina |last=Denysenko|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6409699.stm|title=Sterilised Roma accuse Czechs|publisher=BBC News|}}</ref>, with new revealed cases up until 2004, in both the [[Czech Republic]] and [[Slovakia]]. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=August&x=200608171045451CJsamohT0.678158 |title=Coercive Sterilization of Romani Women Examined at Hearing: New report focuses on Czech Republic and Slovakia|first=Jeffrey|last=Thomas|date=2006-08-16|work=Washington File|publisher=Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State}}</ref> In the early 1990s, Germany deported tens of thousands of [[Illegal immigration|illegal immigrants]] to Eastern Europe. Sixty percent of some 100,000 Romanian nationals deported under a 1992 treaty were Roma.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} In [[Norway]], many Roma were forcibly sterilized by the state until 1977.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newint.org/features/2008/01/01/roma/|title=The eternal minority|publisher=''New Internationalist''|author=Eleanor Harding|date=January 2008|accessdate-2008-04-15}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=j5TdqodY_QwC&pg=PA173&lpg=PA173&dq=Norway+roma+sterilisation&source=web&ots=Fq8F1IWa4x&sig=CDLknZpZOBdn14DodVsBO7CkhOE&hl=en#PPA171,M1|title=The Nordic peace|contribution=The non-autonomous minority groups in the Nordic countries|last=Hannikainen|first=Lauri|last2=Åkermark|first2=Sia Spiliopoulou|pages=171–197|editor-last=Clive|editor-first=Archer|editor2-last=Joenniemi|editor2-first=Pertti|location=Aldershot|publisher=Ashgate}}</ref> In May 2008 Roma camps in Naples, Italy were attacked and set on fire by local residents.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/europe/7423165.stm |title=Italy condemned for 'racism wave'|first=Unknown|last=Unknown|date=2008-05-28|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC}}</ref> ==Society and culture== {{main|Roma society and culture}} [[Image:A Gipsy Family Fac simile of a Woodcut in the Cosmographie Universelle of Munster in folio Basle 1552.png|right|thumb|''A Gipsy Family'' - Facsimile of a woodcut in the "Cosmographie Universelle" of Munster: in folio, Basle, 1552.]] The traditional Roma place a high value on the [[extended family]]. [[Virginity]] is essential in unmarried women. Both men and women often marry young; there has been controversy in several countries over the Roma practice of [[child marriage]]. Roma law establishes that the man’s family must pay a [[bride price]] to the bride's parents, but only traditional families still follow this rule. Once married, the woman joins the husband's family where her main job is to tend to her husband's and her children's needs, and to take care of the in-laws as well. The power structure in the traditional Roma household has at its top the oldest man or grandfather, and men in general have more authority than women. As women get older, however, they gain respect and authority in the eyes of the community. Young wives begin gaining authority once they mother children. Roma [[Social behavior|social behaviour]] is strictly regulated by Hindu purity laws ("marime" or "marhime"), still respected by most Roma and among Sinti groups by the older generations. This regulation affects many aspects of life, and is applied to actions, people and things: parts of [[Human anatomy|the human body]] are considered impure: the [[Sex organ|genital organs]] (because they produce emissions) as well as the rest of the lower body. Fingernails and toenails must be filed with an emery board, as cutting them with a clipper is a [[taboo]]. Clothes for the lower body, as well as the clothes of [[menstruation|menstruating]] women, are washed separately. Items used for eating are also washed in a different place. Childbirth is considered impure, and must occur outside the dwelling place. The mother is considered impure for forty days after giving birth. Death is considered impure, and affects the whole family of the dead, who remain impure for a period of time. However, in contrast to the practice of [[cremation|cremating]] the dead, Roma dead must be buried.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/Paris/5121/death.htm|title=Romani Customs and Traditions: Death Rituals and Customs|accessdate=2007-08-26|publisher=Patrin Web Journal}}</ref> Cremation and burial are both known from the time of the Rigveda, and both are widely practiced in Hinduism today (although the tendency for higher caste groups is to burn, for lower caste groups in South India to bury their dead)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindugateway.com/library/rituals/|title=The Journey of a Lifebody|accessdate=2008-05-26|author=David M. Knipe}}</ref>. Some animals are also considered impure, for instance cats because they lick themselves and mix the impure outside with their pure inside {{Fact|date=February 2008}}. ===Religion=== The original Roma people, still in India by the majority, maintain the Hindu religion,<ref>http://www.joshuaproject.net/peopctry.php?rop3=111445&rog3=IN</ref> where those who left the subcontinent have converted to the [[Christian]] or [[Muslim|Islamic]] faiths. Roma have usually adopted the dominant religion of the host country while often preserving aspects of their particular belief systems and indigenous religion and worship. Most Eastern European Roma are [[Roman Catholicism|Catholic]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christian]] or [[Muslim]]. Those in western Europe and the United States are mostly [[Roman Catholic]] or [[Protestant]]. In Turkey, Egypt, and the southern Balkans, the Roma are split into Christian and Muslim populations. Evangelical Romany churches exist today in every country where Roma are settled. The movement is particularly strong in France and Spain; there are more than one thousand Roma churches (known as "Filadelfia") in Spain, with almost one hundred in [[Madrid]] alone. In Germany, the most numerous group is that of Polish Roma, having their main church in [[Mannheim]]. Other important and numerous Romany assemblies exist in [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], [[California]]; [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], [[Texas]]; [[Buenos Aires]], [[Argentina]]; and [[Mexico City]]. Some groups in Romania and [[Chile]] have joined the [[Seventh-day Adventist Church]]. In the Balkans, the Roma of the [[Republic of Macedonia]], [[Kosovo]] and [[Albania]] have been particularly active in Islamic mystical brotherhoods ([[Sufism]]). Muslim Roma immigrants to western Europe and America have brought these traditions with them.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} ===Music=== {{main|Roma music}} Roma music plays an important role in Eastern European countries such as Croatia, Serbia, [[Montenegro]], the Republic of Macedonia, Albania, Hungary, [[Russia]], and Romania, and the style and performance practices of Roma musicians have influenced European [[List of classical music composers|classical composers]] such as [[Franz Liszt]] and [[Johannes Brahms]]. The ''[[lăutari]]'' who perform at traditional Romanian weddings are virtually all Roma. Probably the most internationally prominent contemporary performers in the ''lăutar'' tradition are [[Taraful Haiducilor]]. Bulgaria's popular "wedding music," too, is almost exclusively performed by Roma musicians such as [[Ivo Papasov]], a virtuoso clarinetist closely associated with this genre. Many famous [[classical music]]ians, such as the Hungarian [[pianist]] [[Georges Cziffra]], are Roma, as are many prominent performers of [[manele]]. [[Zdob şi Zdub]], one of the most prominent [[rock music|rock]] bands in [[Moldova]], although not Roma themselves, draw heavily on Roma music, as do [[Spitalul de Urgenţă]] in Romania, [[Goran Bregović]] in Serbia, [[Darko Rundek]] in Croatia, [[Beirut (band)|Beirut]] and [[Gogol Bordello]] in the United States. Another tradition of Roma music is the genre of the Gypsy [[brass band]], with such notable practitioners as [[Boban Marković]] of Serbia, and the brass ''lăutari'' groups [[Fanfare Ciocărlia]] and [[Fanfare din Cozmesti]] of Romania. The distinctive sound of Roma music has also strongly influenced [[bolero]], [[jazz]], and [[flamenco]] (especially ''[[cante jondo]]'') in Europe. European-style [[Gypsy jazz]] is still widely practised among the original creators (the Roma People); one who acknowledged this artistic debt was guitarist [[Django Reinhardt]]. Contemporary artists in this tradition known internationally include [[Stochelo Rosenberg]], [[Biréli Lagrène]], [[Jimmy Rosenberg]], and [[Tchavolo Schmitt]]. The Roma of Turkey have achieved musical acclaim from national and local audiences. Local performers usually perform for special holidays. Their music is usually performed on instruments such as the [[goblet drum|darbuka]] and [[clarinet|gırnata]]. A number of nationwide best seller performers are said to be of Roma origin.{{Fact|date=February 2008}} ==Language== {{main|Romany language}} Most Roma speak one of several dialects of [[Romany language|Romany]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://romani.uni-graz.at/rombase/cd/data/lang/gen/data/numbers.en.pdf |title=Speakers and Numbers (distribution of Romani-speaking Roma population by country) |author=Dieter W. Halwachs |publisher=Rombase |format=PDF }}</ref>, an [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan]] language. They also will often speak the languages of the countries they live in. Typically, they also incorporate [[loanword]]s and [[calque]]s into Romani from the languages of those countries, especially words for terms that the Romani language does not have. Most of the ''Ciganos'' of Portugal, the [[Gitanos]] of Spain and the [[Romnichal]] of the UK, have lost their knowledge of pure Romani, and respectively speak the [[patois]] languages [[Caló (Spanish Romany)|Caló]]<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=rmr|title=Caló: A language of Spain|publisher=SIL International|last=Gordon|first=Raymond G., Jr. (ed.)|year=2005|work=Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition|location=Dallas, Texas|isbn=978-1-55671-159-6}}</ref> and [[Angloromany]]. Roma of the Iberian Peninsula, however, mostly speak the languages of their countries.<!--<ref name="ethnologue-rme"/>--> There are independent groups currently working toward [[Romany language standardization|standardizing the language]], including groups in Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, the USA, and Sweden. Romany is not currently spoken in India.{{Fact|date=May 2008}} ==Etymology== The Gypsies of India originally referred to themselves by the term "'''Dom'''," meaning "man" in their language. While in other Gypsy communities the word was ''transformed'' into "'''Rom'''" or "'''Lom'''," the term "'''Dom'''" is still used by the Gypsies of the Middle East and North Africa. Other names used to designate Gypsies in the Middle East are "Barake," "Kaloro," "Koli," "Kurbat," "Ghorbati," and "Zargari." <ref>[http://imeu.net/news/article004439.shtml The Institute for Middle East Understanding</ref><ref>[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rom Dictionary.com</ref><ref>http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Romany Online Etymology Dictionary - ''Douglas Harper''</ref> Most Roma refer to themselves as ''rom'' or ''rrom'', depending on the dialect. The word means "husband", ''romni''/''rromni'' meaning "wife", while the unmarried are named ''čhavo'' ("boy") ({{pronounced|cʰaʋo}}) or ''čhej'' ("girl").{{Fact|date=May 2008}} There are no historical proofs to clarify the etymology of these words. The word ''Rom'' (plural ''Roma'') is a [[noun]], ''Romany'' is an [[adjective]], while ''Romanes'' is an [[adverb]] (meaning, roughly, "in the Romany way"). The language is called the ''[[Romany language]]'' or ''Romanes''. In the Romany language, the adjective is created by attaching [[suffix]]es to the root that express gender and number: "Roman'''i'''" (f. sing.), "Roman'''o''' (m. sing.) and "Roman'''e'''" (m. & f. pl.). Usually in [[English language|English]] only the feminine singular form is used, but they may also appear in the other forms.{{Fact|date=May 2008}} "Roman'''es'''" is created by attaching the suffix ''-es'', usually employed for adverbs. <ref>{{cite book|first=Ian|last=Hancock|title=A Handbook of Vlax Romani|publisher=Slavica Publishers|year=1995|pages=104, 154|isbn=978-0893572587}}</ref> The use of the word ''Romanes'' in English as a noun is incorrect<ref>{{cite book|first=Ian|last=Hancock|title=Ame Sam e Rromane Džene/We are the Romani people|page=3|isbn=1902806190}}</ref>. The English term ''[[Gypsy]]'' (or ''Gipsy'') originates from the Greek word ''Αιγύπτοι'' (''Aigyptoi''), modern [[Greek language|Greek]] ''γύφτοι'' (''gyphtoi''), in the erroneous belief that the Roma originated in [[Egypt]], and were exiled as punishment for allegedly harboring the [[Child Jesus|infant Jesus]].<ref name="Fraser1992">Fraser 1992.</ref> If used, this [[exonym]] should also be written with capital letter, to show that it is about an [[ethnic group]]. <ref>{{cite book|first=Ian|last=Hancock|title=A Handbook of Vlax Romani|publisher=Slavica Publishers|year=1995|pages=17}}</ref> As described in [[Victor Hugo]]'s novel ''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'', the medieval French referred to the Roma as "egyptiens". This [[ethnonym]] is not used by the Roma to describe themselves, and is often considered pejorative (as is the term "gyp", meaning "to cheat", a reference to the suspicion the Roma engendered). However, the use of "Gypsy" in [[English Language|English]] is now so pervasive that many Roma organizations use the word ''Gypsy'' in their own names. In [[North America]], the word "Gypsy" is commonly used as a reference to lifestyle or fashion, and not to the Roma ethnicity. The Spanish term ''[[gitano]]'' and the French term ''gitan'' may have the same origin.<ref name="dictionnaire">{{cite web|url=http://www.academie-francaise.fr/dictionnaire/|publisher=[[Dictionnaire de l'Académie française]]|accessdate=2007-08-26|language=[[French language|French]]|quote=Nom donné aux bohémiens d'Espagne ; par ext., synonyme de Bohémien, Tzigane. Adjt. Une robe gitane.|title=gitan}}</ref> In much of [[continental Europe]], Roma are known by names similar to the [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] ''cigány'' ({{pronounced|ˈtsiɡaːɲ}}), German and Dutch ''zigeuner'', Italian ''zingari'' and Russian ''цыгане'' (''tsygan<sup><small>j</small></sup>e''). Early [[Byzantium]] literature suggests that names now referring to Gypsies such as ''tzigane'', ''zincali'', ''cigány'', etc., are derived from the [[Greek language|Greek]] ''ατσίγγανοι'' (''atsinganoi'', Latin ''adsincani''), applied to Roma during [[Byzantine]] times,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sca.org/ti/articles/2002/issue144/rom.html|title=A Brief History of the Rom|first=Karina |last=Bates|accessdate=2007-08-26}}</ref> or from the Greek term ''αθίγγανοι'' (''athinganoi'')<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/index/9Y2PJM6YAYT1UVHW.pdf|title=Book Reviews|format=PDF|journal=Population Studies|volume=48|issue=2|month=July|year=1994|pages=365–372|doi=10.1080/0032472031000147856 | author = Not Available Not Available}}</ref> meaning literally 'untouchables', in reference to a 9th-century heretical sect that had been accused of practising magic and fortune-telling.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.isidore-of-seville.com/goudenhoorn/72karin.html|title=Metal-workers, agriculturists, acrobats, military-people and fortune-tellers: Roma (Gypsies) in and around the Byzantine empire|first=Karin|last=White|year=1999|journal=Golden Horn|volume=7|issue=2|accessdate=2007-08-26}}</ref> In [[modern Greek]], aside from the singular term ''Rom'' (''Ρομ''), the terms ''gyphtoi'' ([[Greek language|Greek]]:''γύφτοι'') and ''tsinganoi'' ([[Greek language|Greek]]:''τσιγγάνοι'') are interchangeable and both are used when referring to the Roma. ''"Bosha"'' is Georgian word for Roma (pl. ''"boshebi"''). Because many Roma living in France had come via [[Bohemia]], they were also referred to as ''Bohémiens.'' This would later be adapted to describe the impoverished artistic lifestyle of [[Bohemianism]]. Outside Europe, Roma are referred to by more varied names, such as ''Kowli'' (''کولی'') in [[Iran]] and [[Iraq]] ; ''Lambani'', ''Labana'' ''Lambadi'', ''Rabari'' or ''Banjara'' in [[India]]; ''Ghajar'' (''غجر''),''Salab'' (''صلب'') or ''Nawar'' (''نور'') in [[Arabic language|Arabic]]. In Arabic, these three words distinguish entertainment Roma: ''Ghajar'' or ''Salab'', from trade Roma ''Nawar'', ''Nawar'' is also used as a pejorative term to mean ''vulgar'', or ''low'' in North Levantine Arabic, and are used as insults. The other term, ''Ghajar'' does not hold any pejorative connotations; They are called ''tzo'anim'' ''צוענים'' in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] (after an ancient city in Egypt and the biblical verb ''צען'' {{unicode|ṣā‛an}}, roaming). There is no etymological connection between the name ''Roma'' (ethnicity) and the city of [[Rome]], [[ancient Rome]], [[Romania]], the [[Romanians|Romanian people]] or the [[Romanian language]]. ==Persecutions== {{main|Antiziganism}} ===Historical persecution=== The first and one of the most enduring persecutions against the Roma people was the enslaving of the Roma who arrived on the territory of the historical Romanian states of [[Wallachia]] and [[Moldavia]], which lasted from the 14th century until the second half of the 19th century. Legislation decreed that all the Roma living in these states, as well as any others who would immigrate there, were slaves.<ref>{{cite book|title=Istoria şi tradiţiile minorităţii rromani|page=36|year=2005|publisher=Sigma|location=Bucharest|author=[[Delia Grigore]], Petre Petcuţ and Mariana Sandu|language=[[Romanian language|Romanian]]}}</ref> The arrival of some branches of the Roma people in [[Western Europe]] in the 15th century was precipitated by the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] conquest of the [[Balkans]]. Although the Roma themselves were [[refugees]] from the conflicts in southeastern Europe, they were mistaken by the local population in the West, because of their foreign appearance, as part of the [[Ottoman wars in Europe|Ottoman invasion]] (the German Reichstags at Landau and Freiburg in 1496-1498 declared the Roma as spies of the Turks). In Western Europe, this resulted in a violent history of persecution and attempts of ethnic cleansing until the modern era. As time passed, other accusations were added against local Roma (accusations specific to this area, against non-assimilated minorities), like that of bringing the plague, usually sharing their burden together with the local Jews.<ref name="timeline">{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/Paris/5121/timeline.htm|publisher=Patrin Web Journal|title=Timeline of Romani History|accessdate=2007-08-26}}</ref> Later in the 19th century, Roma immigration was forbidden on a racial basis in areas outside Europe, mostly in the English speaking world (in 1885 the United States outlawed the entry of the Roma) and also in some American countries (in 1880 [[Argentina]] adopted a similar policy).<ref name="timeline"/> ===Holocaust=== {{main|Porajmos}} [[Image:Porajmos.jpg|thumb|250px|Roma arrivals at the [[Belzec]] [[death camp]] await instructions.]] The persecution of the Roma reached a peak during [[World War II]] in the ''[[Porajmos]]'', the genocide perpetrated by the [[Nazis]] during the [[Holocaust]]. In 1935, the [[Nuremberg laws]] stripped the Roma people living in [[Nazi Germany]] of their citizenship, after which they were subjected to violence, imprisonment in [[concentration camp]]s and later genocide in [[extermination camp]]s. The policy was extended in areas occupied by the Nazis during the war, and it was also applied by their allies, notably the [[Independent State of Croatia]], [[Romania]] and [[Hungary]]. Because no accurate pre-war census figures exist for the Roma, it is impossible to accurately assess the actual number of victims. [[Ian Hancock]], director of the Program of Romani Studies at [[The University of Texas at Austin]], proposes a figure of up to a million and a half, while an estimate of between 220,000 and 500,000 was made by the late Sybil Milton, formerly senior historian of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.<ref>Most estimates for numbers of Roma victims of the Holocaust fall between 200,000 and 500,000, although figures ranging between 90,000 and 4 million have been proposed. Lower estimates do not include those killed in all Axis-controlled countries. A detailed study by the late Sybil Milton, formerly senior historian at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum gave a figure of at least a minimum of 220,000, probably higher, possibly closer to 500,000 (cited in [http://www.nyed.uscourts.gov/pub/rulings/cv/1996/685455.pdf Re. Holocaust Victim Assets Litigation (Swiss Banks) Special Master's Proposals, September 11, 2000]). Ian Hancock, Director of the Program of Romani Studies and the Romani Archives and Documentation Center at the University of Texas at Austin, argues in favour of a higher figure of between 500,000 and 1,500,000 in his 2004 article, [http://www.radoc.net:8088/RADOC-3-PORR.htm Romanies and the Holocaust: A Reevaluation and an Overview] as published in Stone, D. (ed.) (2004) The Historiography of the Holocaust. Palgrave, Basingstoke and New York. </ref>. In Central Europe, the extermination in the [[Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia]] was so thorough that the [[Bohemian Romany]] language became totally extinct. ===Assimilation=== In the [[Habsburg Monarchy]] under [[Maria Theresa of Austria|Maria Theresia]] (1740-1780), a series of decrees tried to force the Roma to [[Sedentarization|sedentarize]], removed rights to horse and wagon ownership (1754), renamed them as "New Citizens" and forced Roma boys into military service if they had no trade (1761), forced them to register with the local authorities (1767), and prohibited marriage between Roma (1773). Her successor [[Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor|Josef II]] prohibited the wearing of traditional Roma clothing and the use of the Romany language, punishable by flogging.<ref name="samer"/> In [[Spain]], attempts to assimilate the Gitanos were under way as early as 1619, when Gitanos were forcibly sedentarized, the use of the Romany language was prohibited, Gitano men and women were sent to separate workhouses and their children sent to orphanages. Similar prohibitions took place in later in 1783 under [[Charles III of Spain|King Charles III]], who prohibited the nomadic lifestyle, the use of the Calo language, Romani clothing, their trade in horses and other itinerant trades. Ultimately these measures failed, as the rest of the population rejected the integration of the Gitanos.<ref name="samer">{{cite web |url=http://romani.uni-graz.at/rombase/cgi-bin/art.cgi?src=data/hist/modern/maria.en.xml |title=Maria Theresia and Joseph II: Policies of Assimilation in the Age of Enlightened Absolutism. |publisher=Karl-Franzens-Universitaet Graz |work=[http://romani.uni-graz.at/rombase Rombase] |year=2001 |month=December |first=Helmut |last=Samer }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.everyculture.com/Europe/Gitanos-History-and-Cultural-Relations.html |title=Gitanos. History and Cultural Relations. |publisher=[http://everyculture.com World Culture Encyclopedia] |accessdate=2007-08-26 }}</ref> Other examples of forced assimilation include [[Norway]], where a law was passed in 1896 permitting the state to remove children from their parents and place them in state institutions<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geocities.com/~Patrin/norway.htm |title=Roma (Gypsies) in Norway |accessdate=2007-08-26 }}</ref>. This resulted in some 1,500 Roma children being taken from their parents in the 20th century<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.wcc-coe.org/ccdocuments.nsf/index/plen-4.4-en.html |title=The Church of Norway and the Roma of Norway |publisher=[[World Council of Churches]] |date=2002-09-03 }}</ref>. == Contemporary issues == [[Image:Romany girl from cz 2005.jpg|thumb|upright|A young Romani woman from the Czech Republic (2005)]] === Central and Eastern Europe === The practice of placing Roma students in segregated schools or classes remains widespread in countries across Central and Eastern Europe. In [[Hungary]], [[Bulgaria]] and [[Romania]], many Roma children have been channeled into all-Roma schools that offer inferior quality education and are sometimes in poor physical condition, or into segregated all-Roma or predominantly Roma classes within mixed schools.<ref name="eumap">{{cite web | year = 2007 | format = PDF | url = http://www.eumap.org/topics/minority/reports/roma_education/report/vol1.pdf | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070407092622/http://www.eumap.org/topics/minority/reports/roma_education/report/vol1.pdf | archivedate=2007-04-07 | title = Equal access to quality education for Roma, Volume 1 | pages = pp. 18-20, 187, 212-213, 358-361 | publisher = Open Society Institute - EU Monitoring and Advocacy Program (EUMAP) }}</ref> In Hungary and Bulgaria, many Roma children are sent to classes for pupils with learning disabilities, regardless of whether such classes are appropriate for the children in question or not. In Bulgaria, they are also sent to so-called "delinquent schools", where a variety of human rights abuses take place.<ref name="eumap" /> Despite the low [[birth rate]] in the country, Bulgaria's [[Ministry of Health|Health Ministry]] was considering a law aimed at lowering the birth rate of certain [[minority group]]s, particularly the Roma, due to the high [[mortality rate]] among Roma families, which are typically large. This was later abandoned due to conflict with [[European Union law|EU law]] and the Bulgarian constitution.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.socialniprava.info/article1607.html|title=Women’s reproductive rights and right to family life interferance<!--sic--> by the Health Minister|date=2006-10-11|first=Ivan|last=Ivanov|publisher=Social Rights Bulgaria}}</ref> Roma in European population centers are often accused of crimes such as [[pickpocketing]]. This is a regular justification for anti-Roma persecution. In 1899, the ''Nachrichtendienst in Bezug auf die Zigeuner'' ("Intelligence Service Regarding the Gypsies") was set up in [[Munich]] under the direction of Alfred Dillmann, cataloguing data on all Roma individuals throughout the German lands. It did not officially close down until 1970. The results were published in 1905 in Dillmann’s ''Zigeuner-Buch'' <ref>{{cite book|first=Alfred|last=Dillmann|title=Zigeuner-Buch|location=Munich|publisher=Wildsche|year=1905|language=[[German language|German]]}}</ref>, that was used in the next years as justification for the [[Porajmos]]. It described the Roma people as a "plague" and a "menace", but presented as ''Gypsy crime'' almost exclusively trespassing and the theft of food. A UN study<ref>{{cite book|title=Avoiding the Dependence Trap: A Regional Human Development Report|url=http://roma.undp.sk/online.php|isbn=92-1-126153-8|publisher=United Nations Development Programme|month=December|year=2002|first=Andrey|last=Ivanov|chapter=7 |chapterurl=http://roma.undp.sk/reports_contents.php?parent_id=1&id=229}}</ref> found that Roma in Eastern European countries such as [[Bulgaria]] are arrested for robbery at a much higher rate than other groups. [[Amnesty International]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Anti-Roma racism in Europe|first=Julie|last=Denesha|publisher=[[Amnesty International]]|url=http://web.amnesty.org/wire/February2002/Europe_Roma|year=2002|month=February|accessdate=2007-08-26}}</ref> and Roma groups such as the [[Union Romani]] blame widespread police and government racism and persecution.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rromani People: Present Situation in Europe|url=http://www.unionromani.org/pueblo_in.htm#situacion|publisher=[[Union Romani]]|accessdate=2007-08-26}}</ref> === United Kingdom === In the [[United Kingdom|UK]], "travellers" (referring to [[Irish Travellers]] and [[New Age Travellers]] as well as Roma) became a 2005 [[general election]] issue, with the leader of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] promising to review the [[Human Rights Act 1998]]. This law, which absorbs the [[European Convention on Human Rights]] into UK [[primary legislation]], is seen by some to permit the granting of retrospective [[planning permission]]. Severe population pressures and the paucity of [[Greenfield land|greenfield]] sites have led to ''travellers'' purchasing land, and setting up residential settlements very quickly, thus subverting the planning restrictions{{Fact|date=October 2007}}. Travellers argued in response that thousands of retrospective planning permissions are granted in Britain in cases involving non-Roma applicants each year and that statistics showed that 90% of planning applications by Roma and travellers were initially refused by [[local council]]s, compared with a national average of 20% for other applicants, disproving claims of preferential treatment favouring Roma.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cre.gov.uk/gdpract/g_and_t_facts.html|title=Gypsies and Irish Travellers: The facts|publisher=Commission on Racial Equality (UK)}}</ref> They also argued that the root of the problem was that many traditional stopping-places had been barricaded off and that legislation passed by the previous Conservative government had effectively criminalised their community, for example by removing local authorities’ responsibility to provide sites, thus leaving the travellers with no option but to purchase unregistered new sites themselves.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/southeast/series8/week_three.shtml|work=Inside Out - South East|date=2005-09-19|title=Gypsies|publisher=[[BBC]]}}</ref> === Denmark === In [[Denmark]] there was much controversy when the city of [[Helsingør]] decided to put all Roma students in special classes in its [[public school]]s. The classes were later abandoned after it was determined that they were discriminatory, and the Roma were put back in regular classes.<ref>{{cite web | date = [[18 January]] [[2006]] | url = http://www.dr.dk/Regioner/Kbh/Nyheder/Politik/20060118073049.htm | title = Roma-politik igen i søgelyset | publisher = DR Radio P4 | language = Danish }}</ref> === United States === Law enforcement agencies in the United States hold regular conferences <ref>{{cite web|title=Gypsies: the Usual Suspects|first=Hector|last=Becerra|publisher=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=2006-01-30|url=http://www.nabihq.org/en-us/News/la_times_2006-01-30.php|notes=copy on National Association of Bunco Investigators website, which deletes a description of profane cries when a speaker said not all gypsies are criminal}}</ref> on the Roma and similar nomadic groups. It is common to refer to the operators of certain types of travelling [[con artists]] <ref>{{cite book|author=Dennis Marlock, John Dowling |year=1994 |month=January |publisher=Paladin Press|title=License To Steal: Traveling Con Artists: Their Games, Their Rules, Your Money|isbn=978-0873647519}}</ref> and [[fortune-telling]] <ref>{{cite web|title=Real Stories From Victims Who've Been Scammed|url=http://www.gypsypsychicscams.com/realstories.html|publisher=gypsypsychicscams.com|accessdate=2007-08-26}}</ref> businesses as "Gypsies," although many are [[Irish Travellers]] or not members of any particular nomadic ethnic group. ==Roma people by geographic area== ===Central and Eastern Europe=== {{main|Roma in Central and Eastern Europe}} A significant proportion of the world's Roma live in [[Central Europe|Central]] and [[Eastern Europe]], often in [[squatter]] communities with very high [[unemployment]], while only some are fully integrated in the society. However, in some cases&mdash;notably the Kalderash clan in Romania, who work as traditional [[coppersmith]]s&mdash;they have prospered. Some Roma families choose to immigrate to Western Europe now that many of the former Communist countries like the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria have entered the European Union and free travel is permitted. During the 1970s and 1980s many Roma from former Yugoslavia migrated to Western European countries, especially to Austria, Germany and Sweden. The current and historical situation of Roma in the region differs from country to country. ===Hungary=== {{main|Roma people of Hungary}} The number of Roma people in Hungary is disputed. In the 2001 census only 190,000 people called themselves Roma, but sociological estimates give much higher numbers (about 5%-10% of the total population). Since World War II, the number of Roma has increased rapidly, multiplying sevenfold in the last century{{Fact|date=June 2008}}. Today every fifth or sixth newborn is Roma{{Fact|date=June 2008}}. Estimates based on current demographic trends project that in [[2050]], 20.9% of the population (1.64 million people) will be Roma.<ref>[http://www.romaniworld.com/ecoprt-1.htm Romani world]</ref> ===Turkey=== Roma in Turkey are known as '''Chingene''', '''Chingen''' or '''Chingan''' (Mostly), '''Chingit''' (West Black Sea region), '''Dom''' (East Anatolia), '''Posha''' (East Anatolia), '''Abdal''' (Kahramanmaraş), '''Roman''' (Izmir) <ref> Özhan Öztürk. [http://www.karalahana.com/english/archive/folklore.html Karadeniz Ansiklopedik Sözlük]. İstanbul. 2005. ISBN 975-6121-00-9. p.280-281. </ref>. Estimates of the population vary from 300.000 to 5 million, dispersed all across the country.<ref name="Turkey"/> They have integrated fully to the ethnic make up of the country, and in later years have started to recognize, and cherish their Roma background as well.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cingene.org|title=TÜRKİYE'Lİ ÇİNGENELER|language=[[Turkish language|Turkish]]|accessdate=2007-08-26}}</ref> [[Blacksmithing]] and other handicrafts are the Roma's specialities. [[Image:Spanish Gypsy NGM-v31-p257.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Spanish Roma woman]] [[Image:Roma people 1837.jpg|thumb|A Roma family travelling (1837 print)]] ===Spain=== {{main|Roma in Spain}} Roma in Spain are generally known as ''Gitanos'' and tend to speak [[Caló (Spanish Romany)|Caló]] which is basically [[Andalusian Spanish]] with a large number of Romany [[Loanword|loan words]].<ref>[http://www.xmission.com/~dderhak/monte/gypsies.htm My Friends, The Gypsies]</ref> Estimates of the Spanish Gitano population range between 600,000 and 800,000 with the Spanish government estimating between 650,000 and 700,000. <ref>http://www.eumap.org/reports/2002/eu/international/sections/spain/2002_m_spain.pdf</ref> Semi-nomadic [[Quinqui]] consider themselves apart from the Gitanos. === Portugal === The Roma in [[Portugal]] are known as ''Ciganos'', and their presence goes back to the second half of the 15th century. Early on, due to their socio-cultural difference and nomadic style of live, the Ciganos were the object of fierce discrimination and persecution.<ref>Joel Serrão, ''Ciganos'', in Dicionário de História de Portugal, Lisboa, 2006.</ref> The number of ''Ciganos'' in Portugal is difficult to estimate, since there are no official statistics about race or ethnic categories. According to data from [[Council of Europe]]'s [[European Commission against Racism and Intolerance]]<ref>[http://www.gddc.pt/direitos-humanos/portugal-dh/relatorios-ce/CBCRelatorioPortugal_2002.pdf ECRI (2002), ''Relatório da Comissão Europeia contra o Racismo e a Intolerância - Segundo Relatório sobre Portugal'', Estrasburgo, p. 23 (In Portuguese).]</ref> there are about 50,000 to 60,000 spread all over the country. The majority of the ''Ciganos'' do not have today a nomad style of life, rather concentrating themselves in the most important urban centers. This population is characterised by very low levels of educational qualification, social exclusion and residential and housing difficulties (mainly living in degraded ghettos). The ''Ciganos'' are the ethnic group that the [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] most reject and discriminate against, and are also targets for discriminatory practices from the State administration, namely at a local level, finding persistent difficulties in the access to job placement, housing and social services, as well as in the relation to police forces.<ref>[http://www.gddc.pt/direitos-humanos/portugal-dh/relatorios-ce/CBCRelatorioPortugal_2002.pdf ECRI (2002), ''Relatório da Comissão Europeia contra o Racismo e a Intolerância - Segundo Relatório sobre Portugal'', Estrasburgo, pp. 23-25.]; ; See also: [http://www.coe.int/t/e/human_rights/ecri/1-ecri/2-country-by-country_approach/Portugal/Portugal_eng_CBC_3.asp#TopOfPage European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, Third report on Portugal, 2006.]</ref> ===France=== Roma are generally known in spoken [[French language|French]] as "Gitans" or "Tsiganes". "Romanichels" or "Manouches" are considered [[pejorative]] and "Bohémiens" is outdated. "Gens du Voyage" ([[Nomad|Travellers]]) is a widely accepted term and does not bear any [[social stigma]]. The French [[National Gendarmerie]] tends to refer to "MENS" ("Minorités Ethniques Non-Sédentarisées"), a neutral [[civil service|administrative]] term meaning Travelling [[Minority Group|Ethnic Minorities]]. By law, French [[municipalities]] have the obligation to allocate a piece of land to Roma travellers when they show up. ===Finland=== Roma in Finland are known as ''mustalaiset'' and ''romanit''. Currently, there are approximately 10,000 Roma living in Finland, mostly in the [[Helsinki Metropolitan Area]].{{Fact|date=April 2007}} In Finland, the Roma people usually wear their traditional dress in everyday life. <ref>http://www.elamajavalo.fi/index.php?id=823</ref> ===The United Kingdom=== {{main|Romnichal}} Roma in [[England]] are generally known as ''Romnichals'' or Romany Gypsies, while their [[Wales|Welsh]] equivalent are known as ''Kale''. They have been known in the UK since at least the early 16th century and may number up to 120,000. There is also a sizable population of East European Roma who immigrated into the UK in the late 1990s/early 2000s, and also after EU expansion in 2004. There are records of Roma people in [[Scotland]] in the early 16th century, the first recorded reference to "the Egyptians" would appear to be in 1492, in the reign of [[James IV of Scotland|James IV]], when an entry in the Book of the Lord High Treasurer records a payment "to Peter Ker of four shillings, to go to the king at Hunthall, to get letters subscribed to the 'King of Rowmais'". Two days after, a payment of twenty pounds was made at the king's command to the messenger of the 'King of Rowmais'.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishgypsies.co.uk/scotland.html|title=Gypsies in Scotland|accessdate=2007-08-26|year=2004|publisher=The Scottish Gypsies of Scotland}}</ref> It is difficult to be clear about the numbers of Roma today in Scotland, according to the [[Scottish Travellers|Scottish Traveller]] Education Programme, there are probably about 20,000 Scottish Gypsies/Travellers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishtravellered.net/travellers.html|title=Gypsies and Travellers in Scotland|accessdate=2007-08-26|publisher=Scottish Traveller Education Programme|date=2007-02-05}}</ref>. Although it is unknown how many of this number are Roma and it is recognised that Gypsies and Travellers in Scotland are not one homogenous group, but consist of several groups each with different histories and cultures, and could consist of many unrelated ethnic groups. From this, the term "gypsy" in the United Kingdom has come to mean, in common culture, anyone who travels with no fixed abode (regardless of ethnic group). This use of the term is synonymous with "pikey", which is seen by many as a derogatory term. In some parts of the UK they are commonly called "tinkers" from their work as tinsmiths. ===North America=== The first Roma group arriving in the [[North America]] was the [[Romnichel]]s, at the beginning of the 19th century. In the second half of the century, the immigration of Roma groups from [[Eastern Europe]] began, especially from [[Romania]], the ancestors of the majority of the contemporary local Roma population. Among them were [[Romany language|Romany]]-speaking groups like the [[Kalderash]], [[Machvaya]], [[Lovari]], [[Churari]], and even linguistically [[Romanian language|Romanianized]] groups, like the [[Boyash|Boyash (Ludari)]]. They arrived after their liberation from slavery in 1840-1850, directly from Romania, or after living some years in neighbouring states (the [[Russian Empire]], [[Austria-Hungary]], and [[Serbia]])<ref>[http://www.web4desi.com/Articles/34-ArticlesByAlinDosoftei/47-romani-history?start=6 Alin Dosoftei, ''Romani history'' (chapter Other areas)]</ref>. The [[Bashalde]] arrived from what is now Slovakia around this same time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/migrations/gyp/gypstart.html|title="Gypsies" in the United States|accessdate=2007-08-26|work=Migrations in History|publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution]]}}</ref> This immigration decreased drastically during the [[Eastern Bloc|Communist regime]] in Eastern Europe, in the second half of the 20th century, but resumed in the 1990s, after the fall of Communism. Roma organizations currently estimate that there are about one million Roma in the [[USA]] <!-- ref lives in Template:RomaniInfobox --> and 80,000 in [[Canada]].<ref name="roma-canada"/><!-- ref lives in Template:RomaniInfobox --> ===South America=== *[[Brazil]]- Roma groups settled the Brazilian states of [[Espirito Santo]], [[Rio de Janeiro]] and [[Minas Gerais]] in the late 19th century. They came from Serbia (the [[Machvaya]]), from Romania (the Kalderash), from Italy (the [[Lovari]]), as well as from Greece and Turkey (the [[Horahane]]) <ref>[http://www.geocities.com/~Patrin/brazil.htm The Roma (Gypsies) of Brazil]</ref> Initially, the presence of Roma in Brazil was explained by the [[Portuguese Inquisition]] persecuting the ''Ciganos'' of [[Portugal]] by exiling them overseas. Now there are at least 60,000 Roma there, although the exact number cannot be known.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} Most of them are Kalderash, Macwaia, Rudari, Horahane, and Lovara. *There is a sizeable population of Roma people in [[Chile]]. They are widely and easily recognized and they continue to hold on to their traditions and language and many continue to live semi-nomadic lifestyles traveling from city to city and living in small tented communities. A domestically produced television series (a soap opera) called ''Romane'' was based around the Roma people, it went into depth showing their lifestyles, ideas and even featured the Chilean born actors speaking in the Romany language with subtitles in Spanish occasionally. ===The Middle East=== A community related closely to the Roma and living in [[Israel]] and the [[Palestinian territories]] and in neighboring countries are known as [[Dom people]]. Before 1948, there was an [[Arabic (language)|Arabic]]-speaking Dom community in [[Jaffa]], whose members were noted for their involvement in [[street theatre]] and circus performances. They are the subject of the play "The Gypsies of Jaffa" ([[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]: הצוענים של יפו ''HaTsoʿanim shel Yafo''), by the late [[Nissim Aloni]], considered among Israel's foremost playwrights, and the play came to be considered a classic of the Israeli theatre (see [http://www.tochnia.co.il/programs/gypsies/actors.php]). Like most other Jaffa Arabs, much of this community was uprooted in the face of the Israeli advance in April 1948, and its descendants are assumed to be presently living in the [[Gaza Strip]]; it is unknown to what degree they still preserve a separate Domari identity. Another Dom community is known to exist in [[East Jerusalem]]. In October 1999, the [[Non-profit organization|nonprofit organisation]] "Domari: The Society of Gypsies in Jerusalem" was established by Amoun Sleem to advocate on this community's behalf. [http://www.geocities.com/domarisociety/history.htm], [http://www.thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=2209&ed=144&edid=144] In neighboring [[Egypt]], the Roma population is estimated at 1,080,000 individuals, 234,000 of whom are counted as Dom.<ref>[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=rmt Ethnologue.com]</ref> Some Eastern European Roma are known to have arrived in Israel in the late 1940s and early 1950s, being from Bulgaria or having intermarried with Jews in the post-WWII [[Displaced person|Displaced Persons]] camps or, in some cases, having pretended to be Jews when [[Zionist]] representatives arrived in those camps. The exact numbers of these Roma living in Israel are unknown, since such individuals tended to assimilate into the Israeli Jewish environment. According to several recent accounts in the Israeli press, some families preserve traditional Romany lullabies and a small number of Romany expressions and curse words, and pass them on to generations born in Israel who, for the most part, are Jews and speak [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]].{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The Roma community in Israel has grown since the 1990s, as some Roma immigrated there from the [[Post-Soviet states|former Soviet Union]]. In [[Iraq]], the [[Qawliya]] people are a small Roma minority group who trace their history back to Spain. ==Fictional representations of Roma== {{main|Fictional representations of Roma}} <!-- Please add specific references to the "Fictional respresentations of Roma" article, NOT HERE. --> Many fictional depictions of the Roma emphasize their supposed mystical powers. They often appear as nomads. ==Notes== <!-- ---------------------------------------------------------- See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for a discussion of different citation methods and how to generate footnotes using the<ref>, </ref> and <reference /> tags ----------------------------------------------------------- --> <div class="references-small"> {{reflist|2}} </div> ==References== * Viorel Achim (2004). "The Roma in [[History of Romania|Romanian History]]." Budapest: [[Central European University]] Press. ISBN 963-9241-84-9. * Auzias, Claire. ''Les funambules de l'histoire''. Baye: Éditions la Digitale, 2002. * De Soto, Hermine. ''Roma and Egyptians in Albania: From Social Exclusion to Social Inclusion''. Washington, DC, USA: World Bank Publications, 2005. * Fonseca, Isabel. ''Bury me standing: the Gypsies and their journey''. New York: A.A. Knopf, 1995. * Fraser, Angus ''The Gypsies'' : Blackwell Publishers, Oxford UK, 1992 ISBN 0-631-15967-3. * Genner, Michael. ''Spartakus'', 2 vols. Munich: Trikont, 1979-80. * “Germany Reaches Deal to Deport Thousands of Gypsies to Romania,” ''Migration World Magazine'', Nov-December 1992. * Gray, RD; Atkinson, QD (2003). "Language-tree divergence times support the Anatolian theory of [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] origin." ''[[Nature (journal)|Nature]].'' * Gresham, D; ''et al.'' (2001). "Origins and divergence of the Roma (Gypsies)." ''American Journal of Human Genetics.'' '''69'''(6), 1314-1331. [http://hpgl.stanford.edu/publications/AJHG_2001_v69_p1314-1331.pdf] * Hackl, Erich. (1991). ''Farewell Sidonia'', New York: Fromm International Pub. ISBN 0-88064-124-X. (Translated from the German, ''Abschied von Sidonie'' 1989) * Helsinki Watch. ''Struggling for Ethnic Identity: Czechoslovakia’s Endangered Gypsies.'' New York, 1991. * Leland, Charles G. ''The English Gipsies and Their Language''. London: Trübner & Co., 1873. * Lemon, Alaina (2000). ''Between Two Fires: Gypsy Performance and Romani Memory from Pushkin to Post-Socialism.'' Durham: [[Duke University]] Press. ISBN 0-8223-2456-3 * Luba Kalaydjieva; ''et al.'' (2001). "Patterns of inter- and intra-group [[genetic diversity]] in the Vlax Roma as revealed by Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA lineages." ''European Journal of Human Genetics.'' '''9''', 97-104. [http://hpgl.stanford.edu/publications/EJHG_2001_v9_p97.pdf] * Marushiakova, Elena; Popov, Vesselin. (2001) "Gypsies in the [[Ottoman Empire]]." Hatfield: University of Hertfordshire Press. * Matras, Yaron (2002). ''Romani: A Linguistic Introduction'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-512-02330-0. * McDowell, Bart (1970). "Gypsies, Wanderers of the World". [[National Geographic Society]]. ISBN 0-87044-088-8. * "Gypsies, The World's Outsiders." ''National Geographic'', April 2001, 72-101. * Ringold, Dena. ''Roma & the Transition in Central & Eastern Europe: Trends & Challenges''. Washington, DC, USA: World Bank, 2000. pg. 3,5, & 7. * Roberts, Samuel. ''The Gypsies: Their Origin, Continuance, and Destination''. London: Longman, 4th edition, 1842. * Silverman, Carol. “Persecution and Politicization: Roma (Gypsies) of Eastern Europe.” ''Cultural Survival Quarterly'', Summer 1995. * Simson, Walter. ''History of the Gipsies''. London: S. Low, 1865. * Tebbutt, Susan (Ed., 1998) ''Sinti and Roma in German-speaking Society and Literature''. Oxford: Berghahn. * Turner, Ralph L. (1926) The Position of Romani in Indo-Aryan. In: Journal of the Gypsy Lore Society 3rd Ser. 5/4, pp. 145–188. * [http://www.dr.dk/Regioner/Kbh/Nyheder/Politik/20060118073049.htm Danish Broadcasting Corporation] A page in Danish about Roma treatment in Denmark ==See also== {{commonscat|Roma people}} <!-- Please maintain in alphabetical order--> * [[And the Violins Stopped Playing]] * [[Cem Romengo]] * [[Dazdie]] * [[Decade of Roma Inclusion]] * [[European Roma Rights Centre]] * [[Gypsy Lore Society]] * [[International Romani Union]] * [[King of the Gypsies]] * [[List of Romani settlements]] * [[List of towns in Romania with large Roma populations|Romanian towns with large Roma populations]] * [[List of Romani groups]] * [[List of Romani poets]] * [[List of Roma, Sinti and Mixed People]] * [[Romani media]] * [[Romani music]] * [[Saint Sarah]] * [[Šuto Orizari municipality]] * [[Timeline of Romani history]] * [[Time of the Gypsies]] * [[Yeniche (people)|Yeniche people]] </div> ==External links== <!--===========================({{NoMoreLinks}})=============================== | PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS IN ADDING MORE LINKS TO THIS ARTICLE. WIKIPEDIA IS | | NOT A COLLECTION OF LINKS NOR SHOULD IT BE USED FOR ADVERTISING. | | | | Excessive or inappropriate links WILL BE DELETED. | | See [[Wikipedia:External links]] and [[Wikipedia:Spam]] for details. | | | | If there are already plentiful links, please propose additions or | | replacements on this article's discussion page. Or submit your link | | to the appropriate category at the Open Directory Project (www.dmoz.org)| | and link back to that category using the {{dmoz}} template. | ===========================({{NoMoreLinks}})===============================--> *[http://www.rroma.org Rroma.org] Roma organizations, culture and history *[http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/EXTROMA/0,,contentMDK:20339787~menuPK:904252~pagePK:64168445~piPK:64168309~theSitePK:615987,00.html The World Bank: Roma Population Map] *[http://www.europarl.eu.int/omk/sipade3?SAME_LEVEL=1&LEVEL=5&NAV=X&DETAIL=&PUBREF=-//EP//TEXT+TA+P6-TA-2005-0151+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN European Parliament resolution on the situation of the Roma in the European Union] - [[April 28]], [[2005]] *[http://www.coe.int/T/f/commissaire_d.h/unit%E9_de_communication/Documents/Par_ann%E9es/2006/2index.asp#TopOfPage Final report on the human rights situation of the Roma, Sinti and travellers in Europe] by the European Commissioner for [[Human rights|Human Rights]] ([[Council of Europe]]) - [[February 15]] [[2006]] ===Non-governmental organisations=== *[http://www.errc.org/ European Roma Rights Centre] - European Roma NGO *[http://www.ertf.org/ European Roma and Traveller Forum] *[http://www.everyonegroup.com/ EveryOne] - Group for international cooperation on Human Rights Culture === News media sources === *[http://www.romnews.com/ The Rom News Network] *[http://www.rroma.hu/?r_id=28 Roma Press Center] - Roma [[Media agency|Media Agency]] NGO, News, Radio and Television service in [[Hungary]] === Museums and libraries === * [[Museum of Roma Culture]] in [[Brno]], [[Czech Republic]] (in Czech)[http://www.rommuz.cz/] *[http://www.studiiromani.org/ Specialized Library with Archive "Studii Romani"] in [[Sofia]], [[Bulgaria]] (Bulgarian, English) *[http://www.sintiundroma.de/content/index.php?sID=2&navID=0&tID=0&aID=0 Documentation and Cultural Centre of German Sinti and Roma] in [[Heidelberg]], [[Germany]] (German, English) *[http://www.muzeum.tarnow.pl/main/main.htm Ethnographic Museum] in [[Tarnów]], [[Poland]]. Click "''ROMA (CYGANIE)''" on the menu at left. (Polish, English, Romany) <!-- Please try to keep this section concentrated on the most important museums, dedicated only to the topic. The section is NOT a comprehensive list of every minor exhibition. --> {{Romani diaspora}} <!--Categories--> [[Category:Roma| ]] [[Category:Indo-Aryan peoples]] [[Category:Eurasian nomads]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in Bulgaria]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in the Czech Republic]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in Europe]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in Greece]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in India]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in Hungary]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in Kosovo]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in Macedonia]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in Montenegro]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in Pakistan]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in Romania]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in Russia]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in Serbia]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in Slovakia]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in Spain]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Ethnic groups in Vojvodina]] <!--Other languages--> [[ar:غجر]] [[an:Pueblo chitán]] [[bs:Romi]] [[bg:Цигани]] [[ca:Gitano]] [[cv:Чикансем]] [[cs:Romové]] [[da:Roma (folkeslag)]] [[de:Roma (Ethnie)]] [[et:Mustlased]] [[el:Αθίγγανοι]] [[es:Pueblo gitano]] [[eo:Cigano]] [[eu:Ijito]] [[fa:کولی]] [[fr:Roms]] [[fy:Roma (folk)]] [[gl:Pobo xitano]] [[ko:로마인]] [[hr:Romi]] [[id:Orang Rom]] [[it:Rom (popolo)]] [[he:צוענים]] [[lt:Čigonai]] [[hu:Romák]] [[mk:Роми]] [[nl:Roma (volk)]] [[ja:ロマ]] [[no:Sigøynere]] [[nn:Sigøynarar]] [[pl:Romowie]] [[pt:Rom (povo)]] [[ro:Romi]] [[rmy:Romane manusha]] [[ru:Цыгане]] [[sq:Jevgit]] [[simple:Roma people]] [[sk:Rómovia]] [[sl:Romi]] [[sr:Роми]] [[sh:Romi]] [[fi:Romanit]] [[sv:Romer]] [[vi:Người Di-gan]] [[tr:Romanlar]] [[uk:Цигани]] [[ur:خانہ بدوش]] [[yi:ציגאנער]] [[zh:罗姆人]]