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
31 core words in Romani
Water
pani
/ˈpani/
Fire
jag
/jaɡ/
Sun
kham
/kʰam/
Moon
čhon
/tʃʰon/
Star
čerhaj
/tʃerˈhaj/
Mother
daj
/ˈdaj/
Father
dad
/ˈdad/
I
me
/me/
You
tu
/tu/
Name
anav
/aˈnav/
Eye
jakh
/jakʰ/
Hand
vast
/ˈvast/
Heart
jilo
/dʒilo/
Love
kamiben
/kamibɛn/
Tree
rukh
/ɾukʰ/
House
kher
/kʰɛɾ/
Dog
žukel
/ʒukɛl/
Cat
mačka
/matʃka/
Eat
xal
/ˈxal/
Drink
pijel
/pijɛl/
One
jekh
/jɛkʰ/
Two
duj
/duj/
Hello
lačho dives
/latʃʰo divɛs/
Thank you
nais tuke
/najs tukɛ/
Good
lačho
/latʃʰo/
Cuckoo
kuko
/ˈkuko/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European (Indo-Aryan) languages
| Meaning | Romani | Vlax Romani | Finnish Romani | Dotyali | Sylheti | Macedonian | Ido |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | pani /ˈpani/ | pani /pani/ | paani /paːni/ | पानी /paːniː/ | পানি /pani/ | вода /ˈvɔda/ | aquo /ˈakwo/ |
| Fire | jag /jaɡ/ | jag /jaɡ/ | jaak /jaːk/ | आगो /aːɡo/ | আগুন /aɡun/ | оган /ˈɔɡan/ | fairo /ˈfajro/ |
| Sun | kham /kʰam/ | kham /kʰam/ | kham /kʰam/ | सूर्य /suːɾjə/ | সুরুজ /suruz/ | сонце /ˈsɔntsɛ/ | suno /ˈsuno/ |
| Moon | čhon /tʃʰon/ | čhonut /tʃʰonut/ | choon /tʃʰoːn/ | जून /dʒun/ | চান /tʃan/ | месечина /mɛˈsɛtʃina/ | luno /ˈluno/ |
| Star | čerhaj /tʃerˈhaj/ | čerhaj /tʃerˈhaj/ | čerhai /tʃerhai/ | तारा /t̪aːra/ | তারা /tara/ | ѕвезда /ˈdzvɛzda/ | stelo /ˈstelo/ |
| Mother | daj /ˈdaj/ | dej /dej/ | daij /daij/ | आमा /aːmaː/ | মা /ma/ | мајка /ˈmajka/ | matro /ˈmatro/ |
| Father | dad /ˈdad/ | dad /dad/ | daad /daːd/ | बाजी /baːdʒiː/ | বাফ /baf/ | татко /ˈtatkɔ/ | patro /ˈpatro/ |
| I | me /me/ | me /me/ | me /me/ | मु /mu/ | আমি /ami/ | јас /jas/ | me /me/ |
| You | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | तु /tu/ | তুই /tui/ | ти /ti/ | tu /tu/ |
| Name | anav /aˈnav/ | anav /aˈnav/ | nav /nav/ | नाउँ /nãũ/ | নাম /nam/ | име /ˈime/ | nomo /ˈnomo/ |
| Eye | jakh /jakʰ/ | jakh /jakʰ/ | jakk /jakː/ | आँखि /ãːkʰi/ | ছকু /ʃoku/ | око /ˈɔkɔ/ | okulo /oˈkulo/ |
| Hand | vast /ˈvast/ | vast /vast/ | vast /vast/ | हात /haːt/ | হাত /hat/ | рака /ˈraka/ | manuo /maˈnuo/ |
| Heart | jilo /dʒilo/ | ilo /ilo/ | llo /lːo/ | हृदय /ɦridəj/ | দিল /dil/ | срце /ˈsərtsɛ/ | kordio /korˈdio/ |
| Love | kamiben /kamibɛn/ | kamlipe /kamˈlipe/ | kamel /kamel/ | प्रेम /preːm/ | মহব্বত /mohobbot/ | љубов /ˈʎubɔv/ | amoro /aˈmoro/ |
| Tree | rukh /ɾukʰ/ | kašt /kaʃt/ | rukh /rukʰ/ | रूख /ɾuːkʰ/ | গাছ /ɡatʃʰ/ | дрво /ˈdərvɔ/ | arboro /arˈboro/ |
| House | kher /kʰɛɾ/ | kher /kʰer/ | kher /kʰer/ | घर /ɡʱəɾ/ | ঘর /ɡʱor/ | куќа /ˈkutɕa/ | domo /ˈdomo/ |
| Dog | žukel /ʒukɛl/ | žukel /ʒukel/ | žukli /ʒukli/ | कुकुर /kukuɾ/ | কুত্তা /kuttʰa/ | куче /ˈkutʃɛ/ | hundo /ˈhundo/ |
| Cat | mačka /matʃka/ | mačka /matʃka/ | mačka /matʃka/ | बिरालो /biɾaːlo/ | বিলাই /bilai/ | мачка /ˈmatʃka/ | kato /ˈkato/ |
| Eat | xal /ˈxal/ | xav /xav/ | xal /xal/ | खानु /kʰaːnu/ | খাইন /xaɪn/ | јаде /ˈjadɛ/ | manjar /manˈʒar/ |
| Drink | pijel /pijɛl/ | pijav /pijav/ | piel /piel/ | पिउनु /piunu/ | ফিন /fin/ | пие /ˈpiɛ/ | drinkar /drinˈkar/ |
| One | jekh /jɛkʰ/ | jek /jek/ | jekk /jekː/ | एक /ek/ | এক /ek/ | еден /ˈɛdɛn/ | un /un/ |
| Two | duj /duj/ | duj /duj/ | duj /duj/ | दुई /d̪ui/ | দুই /dui/ | два /dva/ | du /du/ |
| Hello | lačho dives /latʃʰo divɛs/ | t’aves baxtalo /tʼaves baxtalo/ | šukar diives /ʃukaɾ diːves/ | नमस्कार /nəməskaːɾ/ | আদাব /adab/ | здраво /ˈzdravɔ/ | saluto /saˈluto/ |
| Thank you | nais tuke /najs tukɛ/ | najis tuke /najis tuke/ | naais /naːis/ | धन्यवाद /dʱənjəbaːd/ | শুকরিয়া /ʃukria/ | благодарам /blaˈɡɔdaram/ | danko /ˈdanko/ |
| Good | lačho /latʃʰo/ | mišto /miʃto/ | šukar /ʃukaɾ/ | राम्रो /ɾaːmɾo/ | ভালা /bʱala/ | добар /ˈdɔbar/ | bona /ˈbona/ |
| Cuckoo | kuko /ˈkuko/ | kuko /ˈkuko/ | — | — | — | кукавица /kuˈkavitsa/ | kukulo /kuˈkulo/ |
Word order compared
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