Romani čhib
Romani
Indo-European (Indo-Aryan)
Romani (rromani ćhib) is the Indo-Aryan language of the Roma people, with ~3.5M speakers across Europe and a global diaspora. Originating in northwestern India and migrating westward from c. 1000 CE through Persia, Armenia, and Byzantine Anatolia, Romani has dialect groups (Vlax, Balkan, Carpathian, Sinte, Welsh, etc.) heavily influenced by their host regions' languages, but the Indic core (basic vocabulary, retroflex consonants, Sanskrit-derived numerals) is preserved. There is no universally agreed standard; multiple Latin-script orthographies are used, including a Council of Europe recommended form.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Romani
Water
pani
/ˈpani/
Fire
jag
/jaɡ/
Sun
kham
/kʰam/
Moon
čhon
/tʃʰon/
Mother
daj
/ˈdaj/
Father
dad
/ˈdad/
Eat
xal
/ˈxal/
Drink
pijel
/pijɛl/
Love
kamiben
/kamibɛn/
Heart
jilo
/dʒilo/
Tree
rukh
/ɾukʰ/
House
kher
/kʰɛɾ/
Dog
žukel
/ʒukɛl/
Cat
mačka
/matʃka/
Hand
vast
/ˈvast/
Eye
jakh
/jakʰ/
Hello
lačho dives
/latʃʰo divɛs/
Thank you
nais tuke
/najs tukɛ/
One
jekh
/jɛkʰ/
Good
lačho
/latʃʰo/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European (Indo-Aryan) languages
| Meaning | Romani | Vlax Romani | Finnish Romani | Macedonian | Dotyali | Kullui | Marwari |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | pani /ˈpani/ | pani /pani/ | paani /paːni/ | вода /ˈvɔda/ | पानी /paːniː/ | पाणी /paːɳiː/ | पाणी /paːɳiː/ |
| Fire | jag /jaɡ/ | jag /jaɡ/ | jaak /jaːk/ | оган /ˈɔɡan/ | आगो /aːɡo/ | आग /aːɡ/ | आग /aːɡ/ |
| Sun | kham /kʰam/ | kham /kʰam/ | kham /kʰam/ | сонце /ˈsɔnt͡sɛ/ | सूर्य /suːɾjə/ | सूरज /suːɾədʒ/ | सूरज /suːɾədʒ/ |
| Moon | čhon /tʃʰon/ | čhonut /tʃʰonut/ | choon /tʃʰoːn/ | месечина /mɛˈsɛt͡ʃina/ | जुनेली /dʒuneliː/ | चांद /tʃãːd/ | चांद /tʃãːd/ |
| Mother | daj /ˈdaj/ | dej /dej/ | daij /daij/ | мајка /ˈmajka/ | आमा /aːmaː/ | आमा /aːma/ | मा /maː/ |
| Father | dad /ˈdad/ | dad /dad/ | daad /daːd/ | татко /ˈtatkɔ/ | बाजी /baːdʒiː/ | बाबा /baːba/ | बाप /baːp/ |
| Eat | xal /ˈxal/ | xav /xav/ | xal /xal/ | јаде /ˈjadɛ/ | खानु /kʰaːnu/ | खाणु /kʰaːɳu/ | खाणो /kʰaːɳo/ |
| Drink | pijel /pijɛl/ | pijav /pijav/ | piel /piel/ | пие /ˈpiɛ/ | पिउनु /piunu/ | पीणु /piːɳu/ | पीणो /piːɳo/ |
| Love | kamiben /kamibɛn/ | kamel /kamel/ | kamel /kamel/ | љубов /ˈʎubɔv/ | प्रेम /preːm/ | प्यार /pjaːɾ/ | मायड़ /maːjəɽ/ |
| Heart | jilo /dʒilo/ | ilo /ilo/ | llo /lːo/ | срце /ˈsərt͡sɛ/ | हृदय /ɦridəj/ | मन /mən/ | हियो /hijo/ |
| Tree | rukh /ɾukʰ/ | kašt /kaʃt/ | rukh /rukʰ/ | дрво /ˈdərvɔ/ | रूख /ɾuːkʰ/ | रूख /ɾuːkʰ/ | रूख /ɾuːkʰ/ |
| House | kher /kʰɛɾ/ | kher /kʰer/ | kher /kʰer/ | куќа /ˈkut͡ɕa/ | घर /ɡʱəɾ/ | घर /ɡʱəɾ/ | घर /ɡʱəɾ/ |
| Dog | žukel /ʒukɛl/ | žukel /ʒukel/ | žukli /ʒukli/ | куче /ˈkut͡ʃɛ/ | कुकुर /kukuɾ/ | कुकर /kukəɾ/ | कुत्तो /kutːo/ |
| Cat | mačka /matʃka/ | mačka /matʃka/ | baari mačka /baːri matʃka/ | мачка /ˈmat͡ʃka/ | बिरालो /biɾaːlo/ | बिल्ली /bilːiː/ | मीनी /miːniː/ |
| Hand | vast /ˈvast/ | vast /vast/ | vast /vast/ | рака /ˈraka/ | हात /haːt/ | हाथ /haːtʰ/ | हाथ /haːtʰ/ |
| Eye | jakh /jakʰ/ | jakh /jakʰ/ | jakk /jakː/ | око /ˈɔkɔ/ | आँखि /ãːkʰi/ | आँख /ãːkʰ/ | आंख /aːŋkʰ/ |
| Hello | lačho dives /latʃʰo divɛs/ | t’aves baxtalo /tʼaves baxtalo/ | šukar diives /ʃukaɾ diːves/ | здраво /ˈzdravɔ/ | नमस्कार /nəməskaːɾ/ | राम राम /ɾaːm ɾaːm/ | खम्मा घणी /kʰəmːaː ɡʱəɳiː/ |
| Thank you | nais tuke /najs tukɛ/ | najis tuke /najis tuke/ | naais /naːis/ | благодарам /blaˈɡɔdaram/ | धन्यवाद /dʱənjəbaːd/ | धन्यवाद /dʱənjəʋaːd/ | धन्यवाद /dʱənjəbaːd/ |
| One | jekh /jɛkʰ/ | jek /jek/ | jekk /jekː/ | еден /ˈɛdɛn/ | एक /ek/ | एक /ek/ | एक /eːk/ |
| Good | lačho /latʃʰo/ | mišto /miʃto/ | šukar /ʃukaɾ/ | добар /ˈdɔbar/ | राम्रो /ɾaːmɾo/ | भलो /bʱəlo/ | बढ़िया /bəɽʱijaː/ |
Word order compared
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