A Historical Survey of the Customs, Habits, & Present State of the Gypsies Part 8

Aok Awk The Eye

Kan Kawn The Ear

Nak Nakk The Nose

Mui Mu The Mouth

Dant Dant A Tooth

Tschib Jibb The Tongue

Sunjo Sunnj The Hearing

Sunj Sunkh The Smell

Sik Tschik The Taste

Tschater Tschater A Tent

Rajah Raja The Prince

Puro Purana Old

Baro Burra Great

Kalo Kala Black

Grea Gorrra Horse

Jukel Dog

Maru Bread

Kil b.u.t.ter

Ker Gurr House

It has already been observed, that in the Gypsey, as well as in the Hindostanie language, the article is not placed before the noun, but affixed behind it; and that is the sole indication of the case of a noun.

Grellmann has given examples of the declension of nouns, p.r.o.nouns, and adjectives, as well as the conjugation of verbs in both languages; but the grammatical arrangement of them does not come within the design of this work. The foregoing list of words is a selection of those that are most similar: but in Grellmann's extensive vocabulary, he says, it will appear on the average, that every third Gypsey word, is likewise Hindostanie.

It must be observed, that the words above recited, have been learned from the Gypsies within a few years, consequently at a time when they had been nearly four complete centuries away from Hindostan, their native country; and among people who spoke languages totally different; in which also the Gypsies conversed.

Under the constant and so long continued influx of these languages, their own must necessarily have suffered some alteration; more especially as they are a people entirely ignorant, either of writing or literature.

It does not appear that there is so much Persian in the Gypsey language, as has been generally imagined; and even what there is of it, they may have brought with them from their native country, as many Persian words are current in Hindostan. We ought rather to wonder the number of Hindostanie words in the Gypsey language, is so considerable, than to require it should be greater, to furnish sufficient proof of the Hindostanie language being the Gypsies' mother tongue.

Since the laborious researches of Grellmann, extended intercourse with India, has furnished unquestionable evidence in support of his deductions. The first we shall introduce, is contained in the following letter from William Marsden to Sir Joseph Banks, F.R.S. read to the Society of Antiquaries in London, 1785.

"It has long been surmised, that the vagrant tribes of people called in this country Gypsies, and on parts of the Continent of Europe, Cingari, Zingari, and Chingali, were of eastern origin. The former name has been supposed a corruption of Egyptian, and some learned men have judged it not improbable that their language might be traced to the Coptic.

"In the course of researches which I have had occasion to pursue on the subject of language, I have observed that Ludolfus, in his history of Ethiopia, makes mention incidentally of the Cingari, vel _Errones Nubiani_, and gives a specimen of words which he had collected from these people on his travels, with a view of determining their origin. He discusses the opinions of various writers concerning them; but forms no precise sentiment of his own, concluding his observations with these words: "Eadem vocabula, c.u.m maximam partem reperiam apud Vulcanium a centum fere annis traditam, non fict.i.tia existimo, ut Megiferus putat nec corrupta ex aliis linguis, neque Egyptiaca, sive Coptica."-In English, thus: "Since I find according to Vulcanius, that most of these words have been continued traditionally for a period of nearly 100 years, I do not consider them fict.i.tious, as Megiferus supposes, nor corrupted from other languages, either the Egyptian or Coptic."

"I was surprised to find many of the words familiar to my eye; and I pointed out to Sir Joseph Banks, in the latter end of the year 1783, their evident correspondence with terms in the Hindostanie, or as it is vulgarly termed in India, the Moors' language.

"This similitude appeared to me so extraordinary, that I was inclined to suspect an error in the publication, which might have arisen from a confusion of obscure vocabularies in the author's possession. The circ.u.mstance, however, determined me to pay farther attention to the subject, and to examine, in the first place, whether the language spoken by the Gypsey tribes in England, and by those in the remoter parts of the continent of Europe was one, and the same; and then to ascertain, whether this actually bore the affinity which so forcibly struck me in Ludolfus, to any of the languages on the Continent of India.

"Through the obliging a.s.sistance of Sir Joseph Banks, who has spared no pains to promote this investigation, I procured an opportunity of obtaining a list of words from our Gypsies, which I can depend upon as genuine, and tolerably accurate in respect to the p.r.o.nunciation, from their being corroborated also by words taken down, separately, by Sir Joseph, and by Dr. Blagden.

"Mr. Matra did me the favour to transmit for me, a list of words to Turkey; and from his ingenious friend B. Pisani, I received a complete and satisfactory translation of them, together with some information, respecting the manners of the Chingiares, in the Turkish dominions, which, however, does not come within the design of this paper, as I mean to confine myself in the present communication, simply to the question of similarity of language; which, if established, I should esteem a matter of no little curiosity; presuming it to be perfectly new to the world.

"Of this similarity, the learned members of the Society will be enabled to form their judgment from the annexed paper, exhibiting a comparison of a few of the words procured from the different quarters before mentioned, with the Hindostanie terms, from the best published, and parole authorities. It may not be unworthy of remark, that the general appellation of these people in the eastern part of Europe, is very nearly connected with that of the inhabitants of Ceylon, in the East-Indies, who are equally termed. Lingalese and Chingalese; though at the same time it must be acknowledged, that the language of this Island has much less correspondence with that of the Gypsies, than many others of the Indian dialects.

"His Grace, the Archbishop of York, with his usual discernment, suggested to me, the probability that the Zingara here spoken of, may have derived their name, and perhaps their origin from the people called Langari, or Langarians, who are found in the north-west parts of the Peninsula of Hindostan, and infest the coasts of Guzerat and Sindy with their piratical depredations.

"The maritime turn of this numerous race of people, with their roving and enterprising disposition, may warrant the idea of occasional emigration in their boats, by the coa.r.s.e of the Red Sea.

"Notwithstanding the resemblance to the Hindostanie, is the predominant feature in the Gypsey dialect, yet there are words interspersed, which evidently coincide with other languages. Besides the Mahratta, and Bengalese, which I have marked in the comparative specimen, it is not a little singular that the terms for the numerals _seven_, _eight_, and _nine_, are purely Greek: although the first five, and that for ten, are indisputably Indian. It is also a curious observation, that although the Indian term for seven is _saath_, yet that for a week, or seven days; is the Eftan of the latter.

"One word only among those I have examined, bears a resemblance to the Coptic, which is _rom_, the same with _romi_, a man.

"In comparisons of this nature, a due allowance must be made, not only for the various modes of spelling adopted by different persons, and different nations, but also for the dissimilar manner in which the same individual sound, strikes the organs of the hearers; of which some pointed instances may be given.

"Should any be inclined to doubt, which I scarcely suppose possible, the ident.i.ty of the Gypsey, or Cingari, and the Hindostanie languages, still it will be acknowledged as no uninteresting subject, that tribes wandering through the mountains of Nubia, or the plains of Romania, have conversed for centuries in a dialect precisely similar to that spoken at this day, by, the obscure, despised, and wretched people in England, whose language has been considered as a fabricated gibberish, and confounded with a cant in use among thieves and beggars; and whose persons have been, till within the period of a year, an object of the persecution, instead of the protection of our laws."

_William Marsden_.

In the 386th page of the 7th Vol. of Archaeologia, is the comparative view of the English Gypsey, Turkish Gypsey, and Hindostanie dialects; a specimen of which will be presented in this section.

In page 387 of the same volume, are collections on the Zingara, or Gypsey language, by Jacob Bryant, Esq. transmitted to G. Salusbury Brereton, Esq. in a letter from Doctor Douglas, read 1785: This learned traveller, when in Hungary, had taken from the mouths of Gypsies, specimens of their language, which occupy seven pages. It is remarkable, that of seventeen words obtained and enumerated in the letters of c.o.xe, the learned traveller, fourteen appear to resemble most exactly those of the same signification, collected by Jacob Bryant

_John Douglas_.

COMPARISON OF THE GYPSEY, TURKISH, AND HINDOSTANIE LANGUAGES.

_English_. _English _Turkish _Cingari vel _Hindostanie_.

Gypsey_. Gypsey_. Errones Nubiani_.

One Aick Yeck Aick, ek, Yek

Two Dooce Duy Du, Dow

Three Trin Trin Trin