Numerous are the names applied to the so-called Gypsies by the people with whom they came in contact. They are known principally by two names, which can easily be traced to one or other, of two distinct stems. The one group, embracing the majority of the Gypsies in Europe, the compact masses living in the Balkan peninsula, Rumania and Transylvania and extending also as far as Germany and Italy, are known by the name Atzigan or Atsigan, which becomes in time Tsighan (Turkey and Greece), Tsigan (USSR, Bulgaria, Rumania), Czigany (Hungary), Zigeuner (also Sinti) in Germany, Zingari (Italy); the English word Tinker or Tinkler being perhaps a local transformation of the German Zigeuner. The second name is Egyptian ; in England, Gypsy in some German documents of the 16th century Aegypter in Spain Gitano, modern Greek Gyphtos. In Belgium they are called "Egyptenaren" with the abbreviations 'Gipten' and 'Djipten' in the Flemish-speaking and 'Egyptiens' in the French-speaking regions. (The denomination of 'Heidens' or 'Heidenen' (Heathens) usual in the Northern Netherlands was used only rarely in Flemish-speaking regions.(1) They are also known by the parallel expression Faraon (Rumania) and Pharao Nepkha or Pharao's people (Hungary) which are only variations connected with the Egyptian origin. The name Egyptians is derived from a peculiar tale which the Gypsies spread when appearing in the west of Europe. They alleged that they had come from a country of their own called "Little Egypt" which is in fact Epirus, a part of Turkish Empire in the 15th century and has nothing to do with Egypt.
In France they are known as Bohemians because they came to France from Bohemia under a 'Letter of Protection and Safe Conduct' from king Sigismond of Hungary and Bohemia. They are also called Manouche or Manoosh (Sanskrit 'Manush') meaning'man'.
Luris or Lulis : Gypsies of Persia are even at the present day known as Luris. Pott in the introduction to his book (i.p.62) and quoting from Shah-Name of Firdousi informs us that the 12,000 musicians received by the Persian monarch, Behram Gour, from an Indian king were known as Luris. This is also supported by the author of the Persian work Mod mal attwarikh (see Reinaud, Memoire sur I 'Inde, p. 112). Probably Luristan received its name because it was originally peopled by Luris or Gypsies, who would thus be best entitled to be styled "natives of Luristan". In Central Asia and Turkstan also the Gypsies are called Lulis. The Russian scholar A.B. Barannikov (2) also says that "the Luli of the Syr Darya region of the USSR, therefore, are clearly descendants of those of the same name inhabiting that district in the sixteenth century who presumably were an offshoot from the main body in Persia". It is also noteworthy that the Gypsies of Egypt are called Luris in the work entitled Masalik-al-abcar written in 1337.(3) In Transoxania, during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, they were also called Lulis.(4)
Zott or Jaut. Zott is the name by which the Gypsies were known to the Arabs and which they bear in Damascus even at the present day. The Arab historian Hamza of Ispahan who wrote half a century before Firdousi says that 12,000 musicians sent to Behram Gour from India were called Zott. In the Arabic dictionary al-Kamus, this entry occurs as follows : "Zott, arabicized from Jatt, a people of Indian origin. The word might be pronounced Zatt with equal correctness. A Zotti." In the lexicon Mohit we read : "Zott , a race from India, arabicized from Jatt; Zottish clothes were named after them, a single piece being called Zotti. These are the people who are called Nawar in Syria, and sometimes they are styled Motribiya (i.e. musicians), their avocation being that of Players upon stringed instruments and drums. They are likewise dancers". Under the heading 'Nawar", the Gypsies are described at great length in terms which recall the type with which we are familiar. Bocthor says in his French-Arabic dictionary that the Bohemians (i.e. Gypsies because they came to France from Bohemia) are called at Kesrowan Nawari, plural Nawar, and at Damascus Zotti, plural zott.
Pott was the first to declare in 1853 that the Gypsies are closely related to the Indian Jats (a name which the Arab historians transformed into Zott). This theory was elaborated by Bataillard in 1849 and has been Supported by Newold, Sir H. Rawlinson(5), Professor de Goeje (6), Captain Richard F. Burton (7). The last mentioned claims that he was the first to declare so in 1845 in his work "Sind and the Races that inhabit the Valley of the Indus" (London, Allen 1851), All of them arrived at the conclusion that the relation between the language spoken by the Roma and the language spoken by the Jats in India, even today, is so close that there could be no doubt that its foot, in spite of all changes, lay in the dialect spoken in the north of India.
In Skopje (Macedonian Republic of Yugoslavia) one group of Gypsies are called Tophansa-top (Turkish as also Paniabi word) meaning 'cannon and hane meaning 'a factory' or a 'workshop'. Another group of families there got the name Barutchiye (from the Turkish word barut, Panjabi barud meaning 'gun-powder'). They were made to manufacture cannons and ammunition by their Turkish rulers. This lasted until 1912 when the Turkish occupation of Macedonia ended. There is another group of Gypsies who were nomadic until recently. They are called Tzambasa. There is yet another groups there called Kovachia (blacksmiths, usually Muslims) and Gavutna from the Romani word gav 'village' i.e. those living in villages.
Koli is another common name in Persia, at least in western Persia. Koli appears to be a derivation from the word 'kali' (black)-in some parts of Europe the Gypsies are called kalo also. A further synonym is Karaci. The first syllable of this word is "kara" also derivation from kala 'black'. Littmann traces it to the Turkish qaraga 'blackish.' It seem reasonably clear that kara 'black' is the basic element in this name (8). The next most common appellation in Persia is Gurbati or Ghorbati. This is an Arabic word meaning 'a stranger' or a 'foreigner'. It seems to be found in countries wherever Turkish domination ,-once held sway, e.g. Macedonia, Albania etc. It has even reached America.
Some of the names given to them are obviously based on their occupations. Lovar who are horse-dealers is a name carried by certain groups. In Central Asia they are called Tavoktarashes (9) made of two Arabic words 'tabak' meanings plate, a dish, a lid, a cover, tin-foil' plus Persian word tarash meaning 'to carve, to cut, to mould'. They are engaged mainly in woodworking trade. Kalderashes are scattered all over the world. They are metal workers, blacksmiths etc. The word kalderash is misspelt from kaltarash made of two words kal meaning 'a machine, its parts, or articles made of metal' plus tarash 'to carve, to cut, or to mould'.
There are four sub-groups of Wallachian gypsies:
(i) Aurari-they are goldsmiths. (ii) Ursari (from the French word ours meaning 'bear). They are the bear-leaders. (iii) Lingurari-(from the Moldavian world lingur meaning .spoon', 'wooden utensils'. They are the spoon makers or those engaged in woodworking trade. (iv) Laeshi (from the word laesh meaning 'lazy'). They are the idlers. (v) Vatrashi (from the word vatr meaning 'hearth' or 'house'. In Panjabi "vatr" means water carriers. They are the serfs or household servants.
Some of them carry names which directly indicate their Indian origin. In Germany they are called Sinte indicating their origin from the Indus valley. In the Central , Asian Republics of the USSR Lulis are divided into sub-groups called Multani and Jhugi (10). Multani indicates their origin from the Multan District of the Panjab, now in Pakistan. Jhugi in the Panjabi language means tent or a 'thatched hut' of a poor nomad.
'Roma' denotes them as a nation: By whatever name they are called in different countries, the Gypsies would themselves like to be called Roma (singular Rom-meaning 'a man' or husband'). They take pride in calling themselves Roma. This is the name which the World Romani Congress adopted to denote them as a nation. Whenever a Gypsy meets another Gypsy from any other land, he would not mention any other name but would ask "Rom san?" (are you a Rom) and the other would reply "ya" (yes). It is only after this that they would embrace each other and start confiding in each other. According to them sa Roma phrala 'all Roma are brethren'. It was this feeling which I myself found amongst the Roma who came from different countries of the world at the St. Sarah's fair in France. Consequently, their language is called Romani and by no other name. Gypsy Theatre in Moscow is called 'Theatre Romen'. The first congress in London which was attended by the Roma from all over the world was thus named Romani Congress. Lacroix says that the Gypsies of the fifteenth century "called themselves Romi, or gens maries" (11).
The Gypsies are also called by other names derivated from their main name 'Rom', The more extended form usually spelt Romanichal by English writers, seems to be as well known. One sees it referred to as Romano-chal in Germany and as Romanichel in Russia (12). In the neighborhood of the Pyrenees, specially in Basque districts of France the Gypsies are called Romanichel, Romenical, Roumancel or Roma-itcela. Romanichal also signifies 'wandering man' - cal in Sanskrit means 'moving'. This expressed their non-sedentary habits or the habit of roaming about.
Besides Rom, the Romanichal or Romanichel, there is the term Romano Chavo used by the Gypsies of Hungary, Carpathia and Moscow. The word Chavo is derived from the Sanskrit word sava meaning 'young of an animal' denoting in the Romani language 'youngman' and 'son'. Dr. Kochanowski defines it as "sons of Rama (13). Paspati also suggests its connection with Rama, the incarnation of god Visnu. In some countries they are also called Kale Roma (black men) or simply Kale to denote the black colour of their skin.
No connection with the so-called Gypsies of India : Whenever one talks of Roma of Europe etc. one at once connects them with the so-called gypsies of India in whatever part of India they live. The word 'gypsy' used in dealing with the gypsy tribes of India is employed in its purely conventional sense of 'vagrant' and should not be taken as in any way suggesting their connection with the Roma of Europe etc. All over India, there are nomad castes or tribes who are gypsy-like in their mode of life, habits, trades and character but they use the dialects of the districts whence they come or where they are found. All speak secret languages differing entirely from one another - made-up jargons of various sorts in no way resembling the Romani language. Similarly all gypsies of Europe are not Roma Inasmuch as the Roma have their origin in the Panjab, all possess Panjabi cultural and physical traits and all speak Romani language which is a Panjabi speech.
1. Dr. O. Van Kappene. A contribution to the History of the Gypsies in Belgium J G L S XLVIII 3-4.
2. A.P. Barannikov - Ob izuchenii tsigan SSSR-1929.
3. Notices et extraits xii p. 330 et. seq.
4. Abu-'I Ghazi-Histoire dest Mongols, per Dasmaisons pp. 258,259 and 282.
5. Proceedings of the Geographical Society, Vol. 1 1857.
6. Bijdrage tot de Geschiedenis der Zigeuners, Amsterdam, 1857.
7. Academy, March 27, 1875.
8. Dr. Herman Arnold - Some observations on Turkish and PersianGypsies. JGIS-XLVI-34.
9. Kh. Kh. Nazarov-Different groups of Middle-Asian Gypsies1968.
10. Kh. Kh. Nazarov - Different groups of Middle-Asian Gypsies. Roma Vol. I No. 3-Chandigarh July 1975.
11. Manners, etc. during the Middle Ages, Eng. translation p.456, London 1876.
12. C.G. Leland. The Gypsies 1882 p. 32.
13. Unesco Features No. 477 p. 5.