We often talk about the value of languages, as they offer us unique insights into how different cultures perceive the world. Sometimes, we come across words in other languages that don’t exist in our own, revealing an entirely new way of thinking.
A well-known example is the Inuit Arctic language, which is said to have 53 different words for snow. This means that through these words you can notice attributes of snow or ice that you have not noticed before. Even something as simple as the two verbs for “to be” in Spanish (ser and estar) can shift our understanding. Ser is used for permanent characteristics, while estar describes temporary states. For example, you would use estar to say you are angry (a temporary feeling) but ser to say you are hot-tempered (a defining trait). Now, here’s a surprising twist: in Spanish, someone who is dead is described with estar—as if death were just another passing state. Mind-blowing, isn’t it?
Languages are priceless treasures, holding knowledge that exists nowhere else. But they are also incredible storytellers. Take, for instance, the Romani people.
The Incredible Linguistic Journey of the Roma
Without their spoken language, we might never have known where the Roma came from, the journey they undertook, or the trades they practiced along the way. It was through linguistic studies that this remarkable history was uncovered.
For centuries, many—including the Romas themselves—believed they originated from Egypt, which is how the term “Gypsy” came about. But when their vocabulary was analyzed, it revealed their true roots in northwest India. By tracing linguistic influences, researchers mapped their migration route, how long they stayed in certain regions, and how they survived.
For example, the presence of Persian agricultural terms suggests they spent significant time in Persia. Armenian words indicate that their first exposure to Christianity happened there.
Over 200 Byzantine Greek words point to their time in the Byzantine Empire, where they likely took up their amazing skill in metalworking. But why did they leave in the first place? It seems that we don’t really know.
The hypothesis that the Roma were recruited as military personnel from northwest India to combat Muslim invasions is a possibility based on the presence of a substantial military-related lexicon in the core Romani vocabulary. The word “Gadje” is commonly used to denote non-Romani people, and many claim that it’s literal translation is a non military person.
Language can reconstruct the history of a people with limited written records, and linguistic analysis serves as a vital tool in uncovering the Roma’s past and the challenges they’ve faced due to widespread prejudice and misrepresentation.
Written by Zoe Hadjianastasiou, LTES Academic Director
