romaniska tšimb / Kaale
Finnish Romani
Indo-European (Indo-Aryan, Romani, Northern, Romanichal-Kaale subgroup)
Finnish Romani (Kaale, autonymously romaniska tšimb) is the principal Northern Romani variety of Finland, where the Roma (called Romani-kalee or Kaale) settled in the 16th century after migrating from Britain via Sweden. As a Northern Romani branch member alongside British Romanichal (rmw) and Welsh Romani (rmd, extinct), Kaale shares Northern features (loss of dual, simplified case system) but has been heavily influenced by Finnish through 500+ years of contact. Notable for an extensive code-switching tradition with Finnish and a literary tradition since the 1990s including children's books and a New Testament (2008). The community size is ~10,000-12,000, making Finnish Roma one of the better-documented Roma populations.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Finnish Romani
Water
paani
/paːni/
Fire
jaak
/jaːk/
Sun
kham
/kʰam/
Moon
choon
/tʃʰoːn/
Star
čerhai
/tʃerhai/
Mother
daij
/daij/
Father
daad
/daːd/
I
me
/me/
You
tu
/tu/
Name
nav
/nav/
Eye
jakk
/jakː/
Hand
vast
/vast/
Heart
llo
/lːo/
Love
kamel
/kamel/
Tree
rukh
/rukʰ/
House
kher
/kʰer/
Dog
žukli
/ʒukli/
Cat
mačka
/matʃka/
Eat
xal
/xal/
Drink
piel
/piel/
One
jekk
/jekː/
Two
duj
/duj/
Hello
šukar diives
/ʃukaɾ diːves/
Thank you
naais
/naːis/
Good
šukar
/ʃukaɾ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European (Indo-Aryan, Romani, Northern, Romanichal-Kaale subgroup) languages
| Meaning | Finnish Romani | Vlax Romani | Romani | Garhwali | Kumaoni | Caribbean Hindustani | Awadhi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | paani /paːni/ | pani /pani/ | pani /ˈpani/ | पाणि /paːɳi/ | पाणि /paːɳi/ | paani /paːni/ | पानी /paːniː/ |
| Fire | jaak /jaːk/ | jag /jaɡ/ | jag /jaɡ/ | आग /aːɡ/ | आग /aːɡ/ | aag /aːɡ/ | आगि /aːɡi/ |
| Sun | kham /kʰam/ | kham /kʰam/ | kham /kʰam/ | सूरज /suːraj/ | स्यू /sjuː/ | suuraj /suːɾədʒ/ | सूरज /suːrədʒ/ |
| Moon | choon /tʃʰoːn/ | čhonut /tʃʰonut/ | čhon /tʃʰon/ | चंदा /tʃəndaː/ | ज्यू /dʒjuː/ | caand /tʃãːd/ | चान /tʃaːn/ |
| Star | čerhai /tʃerhai/ | čerhaj /tʃerˈhaj/ | čerhaj /tʃerˈhaj/ | तारा /taːɾaː/ | तारा /taːɾaː/ | taaraa /taːraː/ | तारा /taːraː/ |
| Mother | daij /daij/ | dej /dej/ | daj /ˈdaj/ | बोई /boi/ | ईजा /iːdʒaː/ | mai /mai/ | मइया /məjjaː/ |
| Father | daad /daːd/ | dad /dad/ | dad /ˈdad/ | बाब /baːb/ | बाबू /baːbuː/ | baap /baːp/ | बाबू /baːbuː/ |
| I | me /me/ | me /me/ | me /me/ | मि /mi/ | मैं /mɛ̃ː/ | ham /ɦəm/ | मैं /mɛ̃ː/ |
| You | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | तू /tu/ | तू /tu/ | tuu /tuː/ | तू /tuː/ |
| Name | nav /nav/ | anav /aˈnav/ | anav /aˈnav/ | नाम /naːm/ | नाम /naːm/ | naam /naːm/ | नाम /naːm/ |
| Eye | jakk /jakː/ | jakh /jakʰ/ | jakh /jakʰ/ | आँख /aːŋkʰ/ | आँख /aːŋkʰ/ | ankh /ãːkʰ/ | आँख /ãːkʰ/ |
| Hand | vast /vast/ | vast /vast/ | vast /ˈvast/ | हाथ /haːtʰ/ | हाथ /haːtʰ/ | haat /haːt/ | हाथ /haːtʰ/ |
| Heart | llo /lːo/ | ilo /ilo/ | jilo /dʒilo/ | मन /mən/ | मन /mən/ | dil /dil/ | हियाँ /hijãː/ |
| Love | kamel /kamel/ | kamlipe /kamˈlipe/ | kamiben /kamibɛn/ | मया /məjaː/ | प्यार /pjaːr/ | piaar /piaːr/ | पिरेम /pirem/ |
| Tree | rukh /rukʰ/ | kašt /kaʃt/ | rukh /ɾukʰ/ | बूट /buːʈ/ | रूख /ɾuːkʰ/ | ped /peɽ/ | रूख /ruːkʰ/ |
| House | kher /kʰer/ | kher /kʰer/ | kher /kʰɛɾ/ | घर /ɡʱar/ | घर /ɡʱar/ | ghar /ɡʱar/ | घर /ɡʱər/ |
| Dog | žukli /ʒukli/ | žukel /ʒukel/ | žukel /ʒukɛl/ | कुकुर /kukur/ | कुकुर /kukur/ | kuttaa /kuttaː/ | कुक्कुर /kukːur/ |
| Cat | mačka /matʃka/ | mačka /matʃka/ | mačka /matʃka/ | बिराळी /biraːɭiː/ | बिराव /biraːʋ/ | billii /billiː/ | बिलारि /bilaːri/ |
| Eat | xal /xal/ | xav /xav/ | xal /ˈxal/ | खाणु /kʰaːɳu/ | खाण /kʰaːɳ/ | khaae /kʰaːe/ | खाई /kʰaːiː/ |
| Drink | piel /piel/ | pijav /pijav/ | pijel /pijɛl/ | पीण /piːɳ/ | पीण /piːɳ/ | pi /pi/ | पीई /piːiː/ |
| One | jekk /jekː/ | jek /jek/ | jekh /jɛkʰ/ | एक /eːk/ | एक /eːk/ | ek /ek/ | एक /eːk/ |
| Two | duj /duj/ | duj /duj/ | duj /duj/ | दुई /dui/ | दुई /dui/ | dui /dui/ | दुइ /dui/ |
| Hello | šukar diives /ʃukaɾ diːves/ | t’aves baxtalo /tʼaves baxtalo/ | lačho dives /latʃʰo divɛs/ | राम राम /raːm raːm/ | ज्यू नमस्कार /dʒjuː nəməskaːr/ | namaste /namaste/ | राम राम /raːm raːm/ |
| Thank you | naais /naːis/ | najis tuke /najis tuke/ | nais tuke /najs tukɛ/ | धन्यवाद /dʱənjəbaːd/ | धन्यवाद /dʱənjəbaːd/ | dhanyabaad /dʰanjabaːd/ | धन्यवाद /dʱənjəbaːd/ |
| Good | šukar /ʃukaɾ/ | mišto /miʃto/ | lačho /latʃʰo/ | ठीक /ʈʰiːk/ | ठीक /ʈʰiːk/ | accha /atʃtʃʰa/ | निक /nik/ |
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