Who are the Roma?

1.1 INTRODUCTION
Roma means people in Romani and is the preferred term used to describe members of
Roma communities (Pavee Point, 2014, p. 11). Roma people are a distinct group who share a
history and language (Roma Ministries, 2014, para. 1). Silverman explains the term "Roma"
in her book Romani Routes as it includes both the Sinti and Roma groupings (2012, p. 24).
Further indicating, how Roma are of both Christian and Muslim faiths, having converted
during the course of their dispersed migrations paths. Thus showing their many qualities,
adaptability and cultural intermingling that deconstructs the idea of Roma culture being
something primordial, essential and exotic that has been preserved over the centuries
(2012, p. 24).

1.2 WHERE ARE THEY FROM?

Roma people have a fascinating history with one of the most dramatic stories to tell, only a
small number of people actually know about their prehistoric story of travel, maltreatment,
discrimination and survival. Known to many, as Roma Gypsies or Romanian Gypsies
having received the name "Gypsies" because Europeans mistakenly presumed they arrived
from Egypt (Lee, 2013, para. 3). Ronald Lee a Canadian Romani writer, linguist and activist
clarifies how this came about:
Because dark-skinned people from the Middle-East had been brought to Europe by
the Venetians and other entrepreneurs to perform as acrobats, jugglers, musicians
and dancers, before the arrival of the Romani people, and because these earlier
visitors were loosely called Egyptians because they had come from the Egyptian
Mamaluke Empire in the Middle East, the Roma too were identified as Egyptians
which in English, was later shortened to Gypsian, and finally Gypsy. (Lee, 2013,
para. 3)

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3.1 LANGUAGE
With hundreds of years of travel their language has evolved with them, according to
Museum most Roma people speak various dialects of a common language called Romani
which is based on Sanskrit, this being the classical language of India (2014, para. 2) with over
three million individuals speaking the Romany languages. Matras, goes into great detail on
the various dialects in his book Romani A Linguistic Introduction how the various dialects
evolved by emigration patrons (2005, p. 7), with the Vlax branch being the most
prominent group of the Romani dialects in terms of the number of speakers that emerged
from Romanian speaking territory (2005, p. 7). There are three distinctive dialects of the
Roma language spoken in Europe, all influenced by migration patrons throughout Europe as
said in the latter. Angus Fraser explores these dialects in his book The Gypsies that in
Western Europe they use Rom (Romani), Central Europe they use Lom (Lomarvern) and in
Eastern Europe they use Dom (Domari) (1992, p. 25). Other literature indicates that: Rom is
the masculine antonym meanings the man or husband, with the female adjective of Rom
being Romni. However, in English Rom is used for both a man and a woman. Some
countries have doubled up the r which produces Rrom; this variation has been used by
governments, more so Romania which enables the government to distinguish between
Rroma and Romanians (Council of Europe, 2012, p. 6)
In English both Roma and Romani are used as adjectives: a Roma(ni) woman,
Roma(ni) communities. However, it is recommended that Romani be restricted to
the language and culture: Romani language, Romani culture. (Council of
Europe, 2012, p. 6).

Despite common routes, the various languages has made it hard for the language to be
documented, Louise Lesovitch, highlights that it was not until the beginning of the
twentieth century that transferal from an oral language into a written form began (2005, p.
25).

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