romani čhib (Kalderash)
Vlax Romani
Indo-Aryan (Romani)
Vlax Romani is the most widely spoken Romani dialect cluster, with Kalderash and Lovari as major sub-varieties; speakers are concentrated in Romania, Hungary, Serbia, Russia, and the diaspora communities of the Americas. It absorbed substantial Romanian and Slavic vocabulary during the Romani migration through the Balkans during Ottoman times, while preserving the Indic morphological core (case suffixes, gender) inherited from medieval North-Indian Domari ancestors.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Vlax Romani
Water
pani
/pani/
Fire
jag
/jaɡ/
Sun
kham
/kʰam/
Moon
čhonut
/tʃʰonut/
Mother
dej
/dej/
Father
dad
/dad/
Eat
xav
/xav/
Drink
pijav
/pijav/
Love
kamel
/kamel/
Heart
ilo
/ilo/
Tree
kašt
/kaʃt/
House
kher
/kʰer/
Dog
žukel
/ʒukel/
Cat
mačka
/matʃka/
Hand
vast
/vast/
Eye
jakh
/jakʰ/
Hello
t’aves baxtalo
/tʼaves baxtalo/
Thank you
najis tuke
/najis tuke/
One
jek
/jek/
Good
mišto
/miʃto/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-Aryan (Romani) languages
| Meaning | Vlax Romani | Romani | Finnish Romani | Sylheti | Rangpuri | Caribbean Hindustani | Hindko |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | pani /pani/ | pani /ˈpani/ | paani /paːni/ | পানি /pani/ | পানি /pani/ | paani /paːni/ | پانی /paːniː/ |
| Fire | jag /jaɡ/ | jag /jaɡ/ | jaak /jaːk/ | আগুন /aɡun/ | আগুন /aɡun/ | aag /aːɡ/ | اگ /aɡ/ |
| Sun | kham /kʰam/ | kham /kʰam/ | kham /kʰam/ | সুরুজ /suruz/ | সুরুজ /suɾud͡ʒ/ | suuraj /suːɾəd͡ʒ/ | سورج /soːraj/ |
| Moon | čhonut /tʃʰonut/ | čhon /tʃʰon/ | choon /tʃʰoːn/ | চান /tʃan/ | চাইন /tʃain/ | caand /t͡ʃãːd/ | چن /tʃan/ |
| Mother | dej /dej/ | daj /ˈdaj/ | daij /daij/ | মা /ma/ | মাও /mao/ | mai /mai/ | ماں /mãː/ |
| Father | dad /dad/ | dad /ˈdad/ | daad /daːd/ | বাফ /baf/ | বাও /bao/ | baap /baːp/ | پیو /pju/ |
| Eat | xav /xav/ | xal /ˈxal/ | xal /xal/ | খাইন /xaɪn/ | খাওয়া /kʰawa/ | khaae /kʰaːe/ | کھانا /kʰaːnaː/ |
| Drink | pijav /pijav/ | pijel /pijɛl/ | piel /piel/ | ফিন /fin/ | খাওয়া /kʰawa/ | pi /pi/ | پینا /piːnaː/ |
| Love | kamel /kamel/ | kamiben /kamibɛn/ | kamel /kamel/ | মহব্বত /mohobbot/ | মনোয়াব /monojab/ | piaar /piaːr/ | پیار /pjaːr/ |
| Heart | ilo /ilo/ | jilo /dʒilo/ | llo /lːo/ | দিল /dil/ | মন /mon/ | dil /dil/ | دل /dil/ |
| Tree | kašt /kaʃt/ | rukh /ɾukʰ/ | rukh /rukʰ/ | গাছ /ɡatʃʰ/ | গাছ /ɡatʃʰ/ | ped /peɽ/ | درخت /daɾaxt/ |
| House | kher /kʰer/ | kher /kʰɛɾ/ | kher /kʰer/ | ঘর /ɡʱor/ | ঘর /ɡʱoɾ/ | ghar /ɡʱar/ | گھر /ɡʱar/ |
| Dog | žukel /ʒukel/ | žukel /ʒukɛl/ | žukli /ʒukli/ | কুত্তা /kuttʰa/ | কুকুর /kukuɾ/ | kuttaa /kuttaː/ | کتا /kuttaː/ |
| Cat | mačka /matʃka/ | mačka /matʃka/ | baari mačka /baːri matʃka/ | বিলাই /bilai/ | বিরাল /biɾal/ | billii /billiː/ | بلی /billi/ |
| Hand | vast /vast/ | vast /ˈvast/ | vast /vast/ | হাত /hat/ | হাত /haːt/ | haat /haːt/ | ہتھ /hattʰ/ |
| Eye | jakh /jakʰ/ | jakh /jakʰ/ | jakk /jakː/ | ছকু /ʃoku/ | চখ /tʃɔkʰ/ | ankh /ãːkʰ/ | اکھ /akːʰ/ |
| Hello | t’aves baxtalo /tʼaves baxtalo/ | lačho dives /latʃʰo divɛs/ | šukar diives /ʃukaɾ diːves/ | আদাব /adab/ | হামার সালাম /hamaɾ salam/ | namaste /namaste/ | اسلام علیکم /assalaːmu ʕalaikum/ |
| Thank you | najis tuke /najis tuke/ | nais tuke /najs tukɛ/ | naais /naːis/ | শুকরিয়া /ʃukria/ | ধইন্যা /dʱoinɲa/ | dhanyabaad /dʰanjabaːd/ | شکریہ /ʃukrija/ |
| One | jek /jek/ | jekh /jɛkʰ/ | jekk /jekː/ | এক /ek/ | এক /ek/ | ek /ek/ | اک /ik/ |
| Good | mišto /miʃto/ | lačho /latʃʰo/ | šukar /ʃukaɾ/ | ভালা /bʱala/ | ভালো /bʱalo/ | accha /at͡ʃt͡ʃʰa/ | چنگا /tʃəŋɡaː/ |
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