Phonemes
A.....as in "last" but shorter

E.....as in "pain" but shorter

I.....as in "tin"

o.....as in "got"

u.....as in "blue"

ch....as in "church"

sh....as in "ship"

r.....trilled as the Spanish "r", also a gargling sound as in Parisian French; however, many Gypsies do not distinguish between the two.

x.....as in Scottish "loch"

z.....as in "treasure"

y.....as in "yet"

g.....as in "got"

s.....as in "sit"

Glossary


A
Abiav - wedding feast

Adre - in, inside

Akai - here

Ambrol - pear

Amoni - anvil

Amria - curse; oath

Angustri - ring

Arey - at

Arter - after

Arvah - yes

Atch - stop

Atchin tan - stopping place

Athinganoi - danger

Avree - away

Avri - outside

B
Bal - hair

Bar - stone

Bar valo - rich

Bari lavuta - viola

Baro - large

Barri - big

Barvalimos - wealth

Baxt - luck

Baxtalo - lucky or happy

Beebee - aunt

Beshtas - sat

Bibaxt - bad luck

Bori - bride; daughter in law, sister in law

Bosh - fiddle

Bov - oven

Bujo - bag; medicine bag

Butji - possession

C
Chavi - girl

Chava - boy

Cheros -time

Chet - write

Chit - read

Chindilo - cut (past action)

Chindiyas - the one who cut it

Cha(h)vi - child

Chop - exchange

Chor - thief, to steal

Churara - sword

Cikat - front

D
Daj - mother

Dand - tooth

Daro - bride price

Del - spirit, avatar

Dick - to see, look

Dickin - looking

Dickla - neckscarf

Dickler - neckscarf

Dicklo - headscarf, indicating a married woman

Didikai - gypsy friend

Dilo - fool or imbecile

Dinilo - crazy

Divano - meeting

Diwano - a group of adults (elders) called to discuss a matter publicly

Doodah - sweetmeat

Dook - the sight or magic in general

Dordie - exclamation

Drab - medicine, herbs

Drabarni - a healer; a fortune teller

Drey - in, inside

Drom - road

F
Familia - an extended family (pl. familiyi)

Ferari - blacksmith

G
Ga - walk

Gabori - jeweler

Gad - shirt

Gajengi baxt - bad luck, luck of a non-gypsy

Gajo - adult non gypsy (masc) (pl. gaje)

Galbi - gold coins

Gavver - soldier, constable

Ghel -girl

Gooi - pudding

Grast, grai, gry, groi - horse

I
Iohai - formal component

J
Jall, jawl, jil - to go

Jekhipe - unity, literally "oneness"

Jilling - going

K
Ka - will or shall

Kair - to do

Kak - uncle, respectful form of address for an older male person

Kanny - chicken

Karfin - nail

Kasko san - whose are you

Kas zhanes - who do you know

Keck - no, not

Kedas - he made

Keir - house

Kek - no

Kertsheema - inn, tavern

Kesht - stick

Khushti - good

Kintala - balance, literally a state of balance

Klidi - key

Kokalo - bone

Kon - who

Koshtenengo - wooden

Kris - court, trial, justice or fate

Kris romani - a trial composed of adult (elder) Gypsies

Kumpania - (pl. kumpaniyi) a group of Gypsies travelling or living together in a territory, an economic and residential association

Kushti - good, fine

L
Lashav - shame; honor

Lav - word, name

Lavuta - violin

Led - ice

Ledome - frozen

Lel - to take, catch, arrest

Les - his

Lil - book

Lon - salt

Love - money

Lovor - a ceremony to divide money earned

M
Ma, maw - an exclamation

Mamioro - a spirit or ghost who is said to bring serious illness

Mandi - I

Mang - to beg

Manus - man

Marime - polluted, defiled; rejected or outcast by trial

Marturo - martyr

Mas - meat

Miri - my (fem)

Mira - my (mas)

Miro - quiet

Monashay, mollisher - wife, woman

Moro - bread

Mort - woman

Mule - the spirit or soul of a dead person

Mule-vi - a medium or an item capable of reaching the world of the dead

Mulani - ghost

Mulo - death

Mulla - corpse

Muller'd - killed, dead

Mush - man

N
Nai - a negative

Nai man (keck) - I have not got any

Namome - written

Narky- bad, risky, unpleasant

Naswalemos - illness, sickness

Natsia - a nation, tribe, or race of Gypsy

Nav - name

Nav gajikano - non-Gypsy name

Nav romano - Gypsy name

Nevimos - novelty

Nevipe - news

Nevo - new

O
O - the (masc)

Ofisa - fortune telling establishment

Oprey - up

Orf - off

P
Paanii - water

Pahome - frozen

Pakiv - to honor, respect; a feast given in honour of a visiting guest

Pakvora - beautiful

Paramitsha - Gypsy fairytales

Parno - white

Patrin - marker, a leaf or page

Pena - sister

Pesha - his

Petalos - horseshoe

Phuro - an elder of a familia

Pi - to drink

Pibe - beverage

Poav - field

Pomana - a death feast

Pooker - to ask, talk

Poove - field

Popin - goose

Posta - sacrifice ritual in nature

Potchee - pocket

Prala - brother

Prey - up, upon

Prikasa - very bad luck or omen

R
Rakli - girl

Rarti - night

Rawnie - lady

Rinkeni - pretty, attractive

Rocka, rockra - to speak

Roj - spoon

Romane - the language of the Gypsy

Romania - the laws and traditions of the Gypsy, social order

Rom baro - a leader, the "big man" in the kumpania: bandoleer

Rukh - tree

Ruv - wolf

Rye - gentleman

S
Sar san - how are you

Sastimos - good health, to your health, generally used as a greeting

Satarma - star

Schav - Gypsy boy

Schej - Gypsy girl

Scran - food

Shav - push, shove

Shee - is

Shera - head

Sherp - go

Shilmulo - vampire, literally walking dead

Slobuzenja - freedom

Sov - sleep

Staadi - hat

Strazhno - danger

Strickapen - imprison

T
Tablipen - warmth

Tan - market

Tenimos - youth

Terno - young

Thoximos - duty

Tooti - you

Top - on

Torarti - tonight

Tsera - tent; household

Tshor - thief

Tshurii - knife

Tsox - skirt

Tumnimos - the betrothal

V
Vela (avela) - came

Vezlime' - embroidered

Vitsa - a category of kin, cousin; literally vine or tendril

Vortimo - truth

Vurdon - wagon

W
Wavver - wood (forest)

Wesh - other

Wortacha - partners in an economic endeavor

Wuzho - clean, pure

X
Xa - eat

Y
Y - and

Yog - fire

Z
Zamutro - son in law, brother in law

Zor - strength

Zumi - soup