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 a medieval North-Indian Indo-Aryan source related to, but not descended from, Domari.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Vlax Romani
Water
pani
/pani/
Fire
jag
/jaɡ/
Sun
kham
/kʰam/
Moon
čhonut
/tʃʰonut/
Star
čerhaj
/tʃerˈhaj/
Mother
dej
/dej/
Father
dad
/dad/
I
me
/me/
You
tu
/tu/
Name
anav
/aˈnav/
Eye
jakh
/jakʰ/
Hand
vast
/vast/
Heart
ilo
/ilo/
Love
kamlipe
/kamˈlipe/
Tree
kašt
/kaʃt/
House
kher
/kʰer/
Dog
žukel
/ʒukel/
Cat
mačka
/matʃka/
Eat
xav
/xav/
Drink
pijav
/pijav/
One
jek
/jek/
Two
duj
/duj/
Hello
t’aves baxtalo
/tʼaves baxtalo/
Thank you
najis tuke
/najis tuke/
Good
mišto
/miʃto/
Cuckoo
kuko
/ˈkuko/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-Aryan (Romani) languages
| Meaning | Vlax Romani | Romani | Finnish Romani | Sylheti | Rangpuri | Caribbean Hindustani | Garhwali |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | pani /pani/ | pani /ˈpani/ | paani /paːni/ | পানি /pani/ | পানি /pani/ | paani /paːni/ | पाणि /paːɳi/ |
| Fire | jag /jaɡ/ | jag /jaɡ/ | jaak /jaːk/ | আগুন /aɡun/ | আগুন /aɡun/ | aag /aːɡ/ | आग /aːɡ/ |
| Sun | kham /kʰam/ | kham /kʰam/ | kham /kʰam/ | সুরুজ /suruz/ | সুরুজ /suɾudʒ/ | suuraj /suːɾədʒ/ | सूरज /suːraj/ |
| Moon | čhonut /tʃʰonut/ | čhon /tʃʰon/ | choon /tʃʰoːn/ | চান /tʃan/ | চাইন /tʃain/ | caand /tʃãːd/ | चंदा /tʃəndaː/ |
| Star | čerhaj /tʃerˈhaj/ | čerhaj /tʃerˈhaj/ | čerhai /tʃerhai/ | তারা /tara/ | তারা /t̪aɾa/ | taaraa /taːraː/ | तारा /taːɾaː/ |
| Mother | dej /dej/ | daj /ˈdaj/ | daij /daij/ | মা /ma/ | মাও /mao/ | mai /mai/ | बोई /boi/ |
| Father | dad /dad/ | dad /ˈdad/ | daad /daːd/ | বাফ /baf/ | বাও /bao/ | baap /baːp/ | बाब /baːb/ |
| I | me /me/ | me /me/ | me /me/ | আমি /ami/ | মুই /mui/ | ham /ɦəm/ | मि /mi/ |
| You | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | তুই /tui/ | তুই /t̪ui/ | tuu /tuː/ | तू /tu/ |
| Name | anav /aˈnav/ | anav /aˈnav/ | nav /nav/ | নাম /nam/ | নাম /nam/ | naam /naːm/ | नाम /naːm/ |
| Eye | jakh /jakʰ/ | jakh /jakʰ/ | jakk /jakː/ | ছকু /ʃoku/ | চখ /tʃɔkʰ/ | ankh /ãːkʰ/ | आँख /aːŋkʰ/ |
| Hand | vast /vast/ | vast /ˈvast/ | vast /vast/ | হাত /hat/ | হাত /haːt/ | haat /haːt/ | हाथ /haːtʰ/ |
| Heart | ilo /ilo/ | jilo /dʒilo/ | llo /lːo/ | দিল /dil/ | মন /mon/ | dil /dil/ | मन /mən/ |
| Love | kamlipe /kamˈlipe/ | kamiben /kamibɛn/ | kamel /kamel/ | মহব্বত /mohobbot/ | মনোয়াব /monojab/ | piaar /piaːr/ | मया /məjaː/ |
| Tree | kašt /kaʃt/ | rukh /ɾukʰ/ | rukh /rukʰ/ | গাছ /ɡatʃʰ/ | গাছ /ɡatʃʰ/ | ped /peɽ/ | बूट /buːʈ/ |
| House | kher /kʰer/ | kher /kʰɛɾ/ | kher /kʰer/ | ঘর /ɡʱor/ | ঘর /ɡʱoɾ/ | ghar /ɡʱar/ | घर /ɡʱar/ |
| Dog | žukel /ʒukel/ | žukel /ʒukɛl/ | žukli /ʒukli/ | কুত্তা /kuttʰa/ | কুকুর /kukuɾ/ | kuttaa /kuttaː/ | कुकुर /kukur/ |
| Cat | mačka /matʃka/ | mačka /matʃka/ | mačka /matʃka/ | বিলাই /bilai/ | বিরাল /biɾal/ | billii /billiː/ | बिराळी /biraːɭiː/ |
| Eat | xav /xav/ | xal /ˈxal/ | xal /xal/ | খাইন /xaɪn/ | খাওয়া /kʰawa/ | khaae /kʰaːe/ | खाणु /kʰaːɳu/ |
| Drink | pijav /pijav/ | pijel /pijɛl/ | piel /piel/ | ফিন /fin/ | খাওয়া /kʰawa/ | pi /pi/ | पीण /piːɳ/ |
| One | jek /jek/ | jekh /jɛkʰ/ | jekk /jekː/ | এক /ek/ | এক /ek/ | ek /ek/ | एक /eːk/ |
| Two | duj /duj/ | duj /duj/ | duj /duj/ | দুই /dui/ | দুই /d̪ui/ | dui /dui/ | दुई /dui/ |
| Hello | t’aves baxtalo /tʼaves baxtalo/ | lačho dives /latʃʰo divɛs/ | šukar diives /ʃukaɾ diːves/ | আদাব /adab/ | হামার সালাম /hamaɾ salam/ | namaste /namaste/ | राम राम /raːm raːm/ |
| Thank you | najis tuke /najis tuke/ | nais tuke /najs tukɛ/ | naais /naːis/ | শুকরিয়া /ʃukria/ | ধইন্যা /dʱoinɲa/ | dhanyabaad /dʰanjabaːd/ | धन्यवाद /dʱənjəbaːd/ |
| Good | mišto /miʃto/ | lačho /latʃʰo/ | šukar /ʃukaɾ/ | ভালা /bʱala/ | ভালো /bʱalo/ | accha /atʃtʃʰa/ | ठीक /ʈʰiːk/ |
| Cuckoo | kuko /ˈkuko/ | kuko /ˈkuko/ | — | — | — | — | — |
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