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Article: Roma (Gypsies)
- Article from:
- Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World
- Author:
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ROMA (GYPSIES)
ROMA (GYPSIES).
The Roma, or Romani, entered southeastern Europe via the Byzantine Empire in the late Middle Ages from India. Early chronicles referred to the Roma as
AEgyptians,
hence the name
Gypsies.
However, in much of Europe they are referred to as
Zigeuner, cig
á
n, cig
á
ny,
or
tsiganes,
which are derived from the Byzantine Greek word
Ats
í
nganoi,
'itinerant soothsayers and wanderers'. Most members of this diverse ethnic group prefer to be called Roma, 'group', or Romas, the adjectival form being Romani.
By the beginning of the early modern period, there were Roma scattered throughout the Balkans. While most lived as nomads, those in Walachia and ...