English
Romani
Romani comes from Romani romano ‘of or pertaining to the Roma’, from rrom ‘man’, and ultimately from Sanskrit डोम्ब ‘Dom’.
- Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEडोम्बḍomba‘Dom’
- Prakritmodern𑀟𑁄𑀁𑀩ḍoṃba‘Doma’
- Romanimodernrromas rom‘man’
- Romani, derivedmodernromano‘of or pertaining to the Roma’
- Romani, derivedmodernromanifeminine form of romano
- Englishearliest quotation 2023Romani
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Sanskritc. 1500–500 BCEडोम्बḍomba‘Dom’
- Prakritmodern𑀟𑁄𑀁𑀩ḍoṃba‘Doma’
- Romanimodernrromas rom‘man’
- Romani, derivedmodernromano‘of or pertaining to the Roma’
- Romani, derivedmodernromanifeminine form of romano
- Englishearliest quotation 2023Romani
Earliest quotation: 2023, C Pam Zhang, Land of Milk and Honey: “Every year the local Romani population, still called “gypsies”…”
The story
Not related to Romanian, Roman or Rome.
Every English word from Sanskrit डोम्ब
Another origin of Romani
- Italianc. 1300–presentRomanoas Romani‘Roman’
- EnglishtodayRomani
In some cases, derived from Italian Romani, Romano, or cognates thereof.
Today it means
noun A member of the Roma, a nomadic people originating in modern-day Pakistan or Northwest India and traditionally having an itinerant way of life, living widely dispersed across Europe and speaking a language that is related to Hindi.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Sanskrit डोम्ब / Romani