The English Gipsies and Their Language

ies.-They call themselves Tataren.-The Rhagarin or Gipsies at Boulac.-Cophts.-Herr Seetzen on Egyptian Gipsies.-The

the Nile. While waiting in the city for the friend with whom I was to ascend the mysterious river, it naturally occurred to me, that as I was in the coun

which will not seem strange to those who are aware of the really wonderful extent of his knowledge of the country which he rules. I had been but a few days in Cairo when, at an interview with the Khedivé, Mr Beardsley, the American Consul, by whom I was presented, mentioned to his H

} and sell small-wares; the men work in iron (quincaillerie). They are all adroit thieves, and noted as such. The men may sometimes

o in turn had recourse to the Shekh of the Gipsies. But the Shekh I was told was not himself a Gipsy, and there were none of his subjects in Cairo. After a few days, three wanderers, supposed to be Rommany, were arrested; but on examination they proved to be ignorant of any language except Arabic. Their occupation was music and dancing "with a stick;"

who know Cairo can imagine with what result! In an instant we were surrounded by fifty natives of the lower class, jabbering, jeering, screaming, and begging-all intent, as it verily see

men, I was told, seldom ventured into the city, because they were subject to much insult and ill-treatment from the common people. On the day appointed I rode to the market, which was extremely interesting. There were thousands of blue-shirted and red-tarbouched or white-turbaned Egyptians, buying or selling, or else merely amusing themselves; dealers in sugar-cane, pip

had travelled from a distant country in "Orobba," where there were many Rhagarin who declared that their fathers came from Egypt, and that I wished to know if any in the latter country could speak the old language. She replied that the Rhagarin of "Montesi

ace. The woman seemed to be very much gratified at the interest I manifested in her people. I gave her a double piastre, and asked for its value in blue-glass armlets. She gave me two pair, and a

r many years in Egypt if he thought they could be Gipsies. He replied that an English lady of title, who had also been for a long time in the country, had formed this opinion. But when I questioned dancing-girls myself, I found them quite ignorant of any language except Arabic, and knowing nothing relating to the Rommany. Two Ghawa

ass of articles. They all differed slightly, as I thought, from the ordinary Egyptians in their appearance, and were decidedly unlike them, in being neither importunate

they were really Cophtic Christians (Pott, "Die Zigeuner," &c., Halle, 1844, p. 5). And I must confess that this recurred forcibly to my memory when, at Minieh, in Egypt, I asked a Copht scribe if he were Muslim, and he replied, "La, ana Gipti" ("No, I am a Copht"), pronouncing the word Gipti, or Copht, so

of a dirty yellow complexion, with black hair, which hung down on the side from where it was parted in a short plait, and their lips are mulatto-like." (Seetzen subsequently remarks that their physiognomy is precisely like that of the modern Egyptians.) "The women had their under lips coloured dark blue, like female Bedouins, and a few eaten-in points around the mouth of like colour. They, and the boys also, wore earrings. They made sieves of horse-hair or of leather, iron nails, and similar small ironware, or mended kettles. They appear to be very poor, and the men go almost naked, unless the cold compels them to put on warmer clothing. The little boys ran about naked. Although both

usual admixture from other sources, simply made into a gibberish, and sometimes with one word substituted for another to hide the meaning-the whole probably obtained through a dragoman, as is seen, for instance, when he gives the word nisnaszehá, a fox, and states that it is of unknown origin. The truth is, nisnas means a monkey, and, like most of Seetzen's "Nuri" words, is inflected with an á final, as if one should say "

tahir!" "We tattoo and circumcise!" a phrase which sufficiently indicates their calling. In the "De

called Kurudati, from kird, ape. The Gipsies of Upper Egypt call themselves Saaideh-i.e., people from Said, or Upper Egypt (vide Kremer, i. 138-148)

ed the oracles, and they were dumb. That there are Roms in the land of Mizr his e

*

late Captain Newbold, F.R.S., which gives much information on this mysterious subject. The Egyptian Gipsies, as Captain Newbold found, are extremely jealous and suspi

Shekh of the Rhagarin, with all their alleged efforts, could find a single Gipsy for me). The Helebis look down on the Rhagarin, and do not suffer their daughters to intermarry with them, though they themselves marry Rhagarin girls. The Fehemi, or Helebi women, are noted for their chastity; the Rhagarin are not. The men of the Rhagarin are tinkers and blacksmiths, and sell cheap jewellery or instruments of iron and brass. Many of them are athletes, mountebanks, and monkey-exhibitors; the women are rope-dancers and musicians. They are divided into classes, bearing the names of Romani, Medda

In Egypt they intermarry with the Fellahin or Arabs of the soil, from whom, in physical appearance and dress, they can hardly

ms to me probable," says Captain Newbold, "that the whole of these tribes had one common origin in India, or the adjacent countries on its Western frontier, and that the difference

es not contain a single word which would be recognised as Rommany, while those which occur in the other two jargons are, if not positively either few and far between, strangely distorted from the original. A great number are

nderers found a resemblance to the old word in a new one. I am also satisfied that much may be learned as to the origin of these words from a familiar acquaintance with the vulgar dialects of Persia, and such words as are not put down in dictio

OR, GIPSY STO

characteristics and conferred colour. It was often very difficult for him to distinctly recall an old story or clearly develop anything of the kind, whether it involved an effort of memory or of the imagination, and here he required aid. I have never in my life met with any man whose mind combined so much simplicity, cunning, and grotesque fancy, with such an entire incapacity to appreciate either humour or "poetry" as expressed in the ordinary language of culture. The metre and rhyme of the simplest ballad made it unintelligible to him, and

dinary Gipsies as being thoroughly Rommany. As to the language of the stories, it is all literally and faithfully that of a Gipsy, word by word, written down as

SAVED A CHILD'S LIFE

oggered it. Welled the prastramengro and penned, "Tu must póoker (or péssur) for the glass." But when they jawed adrée the ker, they laste

t poggers a hev does

SLAT

ass. Came the policeman and said, "You must answer (or pay) for the glass." But when they went into the house, they found th

t breaks a window d

Y STORY OF THE BIR

will chiv tute adrée the chick, mullo; an' if you jāl the waver rikk by the bongo wast, dovo's a Rommany tan adoi, and the Rommany chals will haw tute." Pen

be mullered by a Rommany pal th

SLAT

e you dead in the dirt; and if you go around by the left hand, there's a Gipsy tent, and the Gipsies will eat you." Said the hedgehog, "I'd

to be killed by a Gipsy brot

STORY OF A FO

aklo delled lāki yeck shukkori an' penned, "If this shukkori was as boro as the hockaben tute pukkered mandy, tute might porder sār the bongo tem with rupp." But, hatch a wongish!

s dui rikk to

SLAT

en the young man gave her a sixpence and said, "If this sixpence were as big as the lie you told me, you could fill all hell with silver." But, stop a bit! after a

ys two sides t

YSTON ROOK DECEIVED

ko?" And yuv pookered, "Mandy chored it from a bikshérro of a pigeon." Then he jālled a-men the pigeons an' penned, "Sárishan, pals?" And they

r Gorgios mongin Gorgios, and f

SLAT

nd he told (them), "I stole it from a fool of a pigeon." Then he went among the pigeons and said, "How are you, brothers?" And

ves Gorgio among Gorgios

STORY OF THE GORGIO

a pāsh-bar, a pāsh-cutter, a pange-cullo (caulor?) bittus, a pāsh-krooner (koraúna), a dui-cullos bittus, a trin-mushi, a shuckóri, a stor'óras, a trin'óras, a dui'óras, a haura, a poshéro, a lúlli, a pāsh-lúlli. Penned the Rommany chal, "Acovo's sār wáfri wóngu

úkers (rúkkers.) Some must pír

SLAT

lf-sovereign, a half-guinea, a five-shilling piece, a half-crown, a two-shilling piece, a shilling, a sixpence, a fourpenny piece, a threepence, a twopence, a penny, a halfpenny, a farthing, a half-farthing. Said the Gipsy, "This is all

rees. Some must travel

HE GIPSY BRIBED

. "Where did tute chore adovo rāni?" putchered the prastramengro. "It's kek rāni; it's a pauno rāni that I kinned 'drée the

red a trinmushi to a prastraméngro ta m

SLAT

l that turkey?" asked the policeman. "It's no turkey; it's a goose that I bought in the town to

ng (three fourpence) to a policeman to let

W A GIPSY LOS

shall get pāsh the wongur." Well, as yuv was rikkinin' the trúshnee an' siggerin burry ora bender the drum, he dicked a rye, who penned, "If tute'll jaw to the ker and hatch minni's júckal ta mandy, mi'll del tute a pash-koraúna." So he got a waver chávo to rikker the trúshnee for pāsh the wongur, whilst he jālled for the júckal. Wellin' aláng

he giv in the puv before

SLAT

d to him, "You shall have half the money." Well, as he was carrying the basket and hurrying along fast across the road he saw a gentleman, who said, "If you'll go to the house and bring my dog to me, I will give you half-a-crown." So he got another boy to carry the basket for half the money, while he went for the dog

grain in the ground befo

HE STORY OF T

er them to the kér for his mush-mass, wóngur, hóras, and rooys. A rye kinned

n kair wóngur tácho, ch

SLAT

m home for his master-meat, money, watches, and spoons. A gentleman b

ke money honestly, po

F THE PRIZE-FIGHTER

r?" Penned the cooroméngro, "Will tute mukk mandy pogger your hérry for a hundred bar?" "Kek," penned the rye; "for if I

kushtier t

SLAT

ty pounds?" Said the prize-fighter, "Will you let me break your leg for a hundred pounds?" "No," said the gentleman; "for if I did, I

better t

GENTLEMAN AND TH

bāk. An' he del it, an' putchered láki, "If I bitcher my wóngur a-múkkerin' 'pré the graias, ki'll

sured for is s

SLAT

e gave it, and asked her, "If I lose my money a-betting on the horses, where will my luck be?

r is always somewher

PSY TELLS OF THE

ngmush, an' the matchka taddied up the choomber, pré durer, pré a rukk, an' od?i she laster

bāk

mush ta

ukks a b

s kokero a

SLAT

the cat scrambled up the hill, further up, up a tree, and there she found

rther down, but it causes a

THE GIPSY WOMA

her tikno chored the baulo avree the gunno and chivved the chavi adrée. Pasch a waver hora the chi shooned the tikno rov (ruvving), a

SLAT

ld stole the pig from the bag and put the baby in (its place). After an hour the woman heard the child cry, and looked into

E GIRL THAT WAS T

tchered her wóngur, the rakli penned, "Puri dye, I haven't got a poshéro to del túté. But pen mandy the nav of the

ri juvas tute'l

SLAT

man demanded her money, the girl said, "Old mother, I haven't got a halfpenny to give you. But tell me the name of the

women you will

THE GIPSY WHO

vas to wearus kushtier than mandy's, for there's kek chúcknee or méllicus (pusimígree) adrée them." "Kek," penned the mush pauli; "the trash I lel when mandy jins of t

SLAT

our things to wear better than I do mine, for there's no whip or spur among them." "No," replied the man; "the fear I have when I think of the polic

-BLOOD GIPSY, HIS

lled adrée an' putched him to jāl kerri, but yuv pookered her, "Kek-I won't jāl kenna." Then she penned, "Well alang, the chavvis got kek hābben." So she putchered him ajaw an' ajaw, an' he always rākk

SLAT

came in and asked him to go home, but he told her, "No-I won't go now." Then she said, "Come along, the children have no food." So she entreated him again and again, and he always answered "No."

TELLS THE STORY OF

histlers, you jin, is adrée the S

it pookers 'drée the Bible that the Seven Whistlers shell wherever they praster atút the bávol. But adúro timeus yeck jālled avree an' got n

SLAT

Whistlers, you know, is in t

(us) in the Bible that the Seven Whistlers whistle wherever they fly across the air. But a long time ago one went away and got lost

D STORY WELL KNOW

airus when they used to nasher mushis for any bitti cóvvo. And some of the Rommany chals were nashered, an' some pannied. An' sār the gunnos, an' kávis, and cóvvas of the Rommanis were chivved and pordered kéttenus 'pré the bor adrée the cángry-pūv, an' kek mush tooled 'em. An' trin dood (or munti) pauli, t

chivved adrée, chingered saw to cut-engroes, and they latched 'em full o' ruppeny covvos-rooys an' churls of sonn

SLAT

e old time when they used to hang people for any little thing. And some of the Gipsies were hung, and some transported (literally, watered). And all the bags, and kettles, and things of the Gipsies were thrown and piled together behind the hedge in the churchyard, and no man touched them. And three

ull and burst, torn all to rags, and they found them full of silver things-spoons and knives of gold,

OW THE GIPSY W

yas an' ranis dicked at mandy as I jālled adrée. {221b} So I beshed pukkenus mongin some geeros and dicked upar again the chumure praller my sherro, and there was a deer and a

kerri alay the drum when we dicked the raias wardo a-wellin'. So we jālled sig 'dusta

An' he penned mandy, "My mush was mātto sār tute, and I nashered him." I pookered him ajaw, "I hope not, rya, for such a bitti covvo as dovo; an' he aint cāmmoben to pii

SLAT

he ladies and gentlemen looked at me as I went in. So I sat quietly among some men and looked up on the wall above my head, and there were a deer and a rabbit cut

home down the road when we saw the gentleman's carriage coming. So we went quickly en

ipsy. And he said, "My man was drunk as you, and I sent him off." I told him then, "I hope not, sir, for such a little thing as that; and he is not used to dr

E LITTLE GIPSY GIR

' the ruzhas and lellin' the gudlo avree 'em, sār moro dye dukkers the rānis. An' mā wusser bars at the rookas, 'cause they're kaulos, an'

SLAT

flowers and taking honey out of them, as our mother tells fortunes to the ladies. And don't throw stones at the rooks, because they are dark, and dark blood

RLEY LEE PLAYED A

avree his gunnas. But yuv's dádas penned, "Jāl an, kair it ajaw and win some wongur againus!" So he jālled apopli to the toss-ring an' lelled sār his wongur pauli, an' pange bar ferridearer. So he jālled ajaw kerri to the tan, an' d

pen in tute's waster-an' dovo mush wa

SLAT

d taken five pounds from his bags. But his father said, "Go on, spend it and win some more money!" So he went again to the toss-ring and got all his money back, and five pounds more. And going home, he saw his father

at pen in your hand-and that man wa

THE TINKER A

dy an' I'll lel it avree for chichi, 'cause you've been so kushto an' kāmmoben to mandy." So she del it a lester, an' he jālled avree for trin cooricus, an' he keravit apré, an' kaired it pauno sār rupp. Adovo h

t 'dusta mushis-wery c

SLAT

l take it away for nothing, because you have been so kind and obliging to me." So she gave it to him, and he went away for three weeks, and he repaired it (the kettle), and made it as bright (white) as si

great many men-very

HE STORY OF "

hells avree, "Hup, hup-Rom-ma-ny, Rom-ma-ny jō-ter!" When the chavvis can't

er, and paul' a cheirus he dicked a tāni rāni, and she was shellin' avree for her miraben, "Rom-ma-ny, Rom-ma-ny jō-ter!" So my dáda shokkered ajaw, "Rom-ma-ny chal, ak-ái!" But as he shelled there welled

los, and chovihans all rākker pūro tàcho Rommanis, 'cause that'

SLAT

"Hup, hup-Rom-ma-ny, Rom-ma-ny jō-ter!" When the children cannot find

o the other (i.e., concealing himself), and after a while he saw a little lady, and she was crying out as if for her life, "Rom-ma-ny, Rom-ma-ny jō-ter!" So my father cried again, "Gipsy, here!" But as he ha

ries, and ghosts, and witches, and all talk real old Gipsy, because t

THE RICH GIPSY A

e sār ruppeny. Yeck divvus this here Rommany rye was hawin' habben anerjāl the krallis's chavo, an' they hatched adrée a weshni kānni that was kannelo, but saw the mushis penned it was kūshtidearer. "Bl

is sometimes kaum covvas t

SLAT

ipsy gentleman was eating (at table) opposite to the king's son, and they brought in a pheasant that smelt badly, but all the people said it was excellent. "Bless me, God!" said the Gipsy gentlema

ike (agree in liking things) that w

GIPSY AND THE

the rakli, when the rāni jessed avree, what the lil kaired. Adoi the rakli pukkered lesco it was for her rāni ta jin kun'd well

ré the drum, an' the sap ka

SLAT

rl, when the lady went away, what the card meant (literally, did). Then (there) the girl told him it was for her lady to know

on the road, and the snake

THE GIPSY I

avree an' I never dicked it kekoomi. Ad?i I putched a boro chillico to latch mandy a curro o' tatti panni, but it jālled avree paul' th

SLAT

it went away and I never saw it again. Then I asked a great bird to bring me a cup of brandy, but it flew away after the

GIPSY FIDDLER AN

i pookered him, "Tute's killaben is as sāno as best-tood." And he rākkered ajaw, "Tu

kushto kairs

SLAT

, "Your playing is as soft as cream." And he answered, "Your mouth (i.e., lips o

good mak

E GIPSY DANCED A HO

tute kells a hev muscro the bar you're hatchin' apré, mandy'll del tute the ker." Ad?i the Rom tarried the bar apré, an' dicked it was hollow tāle, and sār a curro 'pré the waver rikk. So he lelled dui sastern chokkas and kelled sār the rā

puri dye pen that a bar with

SLAT

you dance a hole through (in the centre of) the stone you are standing on, I'll give you the house." Then the Gipsy pulled the stone up, and saw it was hollow underneath, and like a cup on the other side. So he took two iron shoes and dance

d mother say that a stone wi

RY OF THE GENTLEM

rikk o' the drum, anerjal the ryas beshaben. And dovo rātti the ryas ker pelled alay; kek kāsh of it hatched apré, only the foki that loddered ad?i hul

d, an' to the divvus kennā they

SLAT

entleman's residence. And that night the gentleman's house fell down; not a stick of it remained standing, only the people who lodged there carried thems

her, and to this day they cal

THE GIPSY WENT

n his see for the pooro mush, "an' we'll mukk you jāl!" "Kek," penned the Rom; "I shan't jāl." "Well avree," penned the rye ajaw, "an' I'll del tute pange bar!" "Kek," rakkered the Rom. "Jāl avree," shokkered the rye, "an' I'll del tute pange bar an'

SLAT

r man, "and we'll let you go!" "No," said the Gipsy; "I won't move." "Come out," said the gentleman again, "and I'll give you five pounds!" "No," said the Gipsy. "Come out," cried the gentleman, "and I'll give you five po

E GIPSY AND H

ked the Rommany chal: "Duvel's the yeck an' beng's the waver. Mandy kairs booti

SLAT

" said the Gipsy: "God is the one, and the devil is the other. I work for the de

TTLE GIPSY BOY AT

ruppenomengro's buddika sār pordo o' kushti-dickin covvas. "O dàdas," shelled the tikno cha

keny) cóvva; an dovo's sim of a tácho mush,

SLAT

efore the window of a silversmith's shop all full of pretty things. "O father," cried the

the same is true (and that's same) of a true ma

I. THE GIP

o barrin' a pauno plāchta 'pré lengis sherros, adree the panni pāsh their bukkos. An' I pookered lengis, "Mi-rānis, I putch tute's cāmmoben; I didn't jin tute sus acai." But yeck pré the wavers penned mandy boot kushti cāmmob

ll muller kushto." Well, if it's to be akovo, I

SLAT

adies, quite naked excepting a white cloth on their heads, in the water to the waists. And I said to them, "Ladies, I beg your pardon; I did not know you were here." But one among the rest said to me very kindly, "N

will die happily." Well, if it's to be that, I

OF THE GIRL

āl an' I'll sikker tute od?i ki tute can lel a guruvni's tikno." So she lelled the guruvni's tikno, an' it shokkered and ruvved, an' rākkered, "Mukk mandy jāl an' I'll sikker tute where to lel a fino grai." An' when she loured the grai, it penned lāki, "Mukk mandy jāl an' I'll rikker tute to a kushto-dick barvelo rye who kaums a pirreny." So she lelled the kushto tauno rye, an' she jivved with lester kushto yeck cooricus; but pāsh dovo he pookered her to jāl avree, he didn't kaum her ke

tàchobens and tacho hùckabens. Yo

SLAT

said, "Let me go and I'll show you where you can get a calf." So she got the calf, and it bawled and wept, and cried, "Let me go and I'll show you where to get a fine horse." And when she stole the horse, it said to her, "Let me go and I'll carry you to a handsome, rich gentleman who wants a sweetheart." So she got the nice young gentleman, and lived with him pleasantly one week; but then he told her to go away, he did no

ths and true lies. You m

GIPSY TELLS OF

vs at tute. Mandy's dicked their doods ádusta cheiruses, an' kekoomi; but my pal dicked l?ngis muis pāsh mungwe yeck rātti. He was jāllin' langus an' dicked their doods, and jinned it was the yāg of lesters tan. So he pallered 'em, an' they tàdered him dúkker the drum, parl the bors, weshes, puvius, gogemars, till they lelled him adrée the panni, an then savvy'd avree. And od?i he dicked lender p

SLAT

at you. I have seen their lights many a time, and nothing more; but my brother saw their faces close and opposite to him (directly vis-à-vis) one night. He was going along and saw their lights, and thought it was the fire of his tent. So he followed them, and they drew him from the road over hedges, woods, fields, and lonely marshes till they got him in the water, and then la

PLAINS WHY THE FLOUNDER

sh, and sār pookered sigán ket'nus how lengis were borodirer mushis. Ad?i the flounder shelled avree for his meriben "Mandy's the krallis of you sār!" an' he shelled

hell too shunaben

SLAT

d (at last) all cried out at once what great characters (men) they all were. Then the flounder shouted for his life, "I'm the king of you all!" and he

boast too loudl

F THE TRUE ORIGIN OF THE FISH

ed their rivabens avree an' pirried adrée the panni paul' lendy. An' the ryas who were kandered alay, suvved andurer 'drée the panni, an' the rānis pallered 'em far avree till they were saw latchered, rāklos and rāklis. So the

ladge, nor rāklis be t

SLAT

stripped themselves and ran into the water after them. And the gentles who were driven away swam further into the water, and the ladies followed them far away till all were lost, boys and girls.

too modest, nor

COVENTRY LEAPED THE G

o tāno rye that yeck divvus in his noko park dicked a Rommany chal's tan pāsh the rikk of a bor; and at yeck leap he kistered apré the bor, and jālled right atut an' parl the Romma

his has b

SLAT

e his own horse in the steeple-chase for the silve

ook a flying leap over tent, hedge, and all. "Ha, what's here?" he cried, as he saw the little brown c

ave genero

I. OF MR BAR

k divvus he was kisterin' on a kushto grai, an' he dicked a Rommany chal rikkerin' a truss of gib-pūss 'pré lester dūmo prāl a bitti drum, an' kistered 'pré the pooro mush, pūss an' sār. I jins that puro mush better 'n I jins tute, for I was a'ter yeck o' his raklis yeckorus; he ha

SLAT

as riding on a fine horse, when he saw a Gipsy carrying a truss of wheat-straw on his back up a little path, and leaped over the poor man, straw and all. I knew that old man better than I know you, for I was after one of his daughters then; he had beautiful

GIPSY, THE PIG,

panni welled in his yākkas. Putched the rye, "Kún's tute ruvvin' ajaw for?" An' he rākkered pauli, "The kris lelled mandys bávol ajaw." Penned the rye, "I kaum the kris'll del tute kushti bāk." "Parraco, rya," penned the Rom pauli; "I'll kommer it kairs dovo." Sikk's the

kek jin it. An' dovo's what the Rommany chal kaired to the baulor, pāsh the sim kris; an' as he bissered it avree an' pakkered it adrée a gunno, he penned shukkár adrée the baulor's kan, "Cāli

o kair pyass an' trick

SLAT

s came into his eyes. The gentleman asked him, "What are you weeping for now?" And he replied, "The mustard took my breath away." The gentleman said, "I hope the mustard will give you good luck!" "Thank you, sir," answered the Gipsy; "I'll take care it does" (that). As

obody will know it. And that is what the Gipsy did to the pig, with the same mustard; and as he ran it away and put it in a bag, he whispered softly into the pig's ear, "Yesterday yo

not to make sport of and

E ORIGIN OF A CURRENT G

dicked this here Rommany chal. So Petulengro he shelled avree, "A fino baulor! saw tulloben! jāl an the sala an' you shall have pāsh." And they welled apopli adrée

SLAT

Rommany. So Smith bawled out to them, "A fine pig! all fat! come in the morning and you shall have half." And they returned in the morn

THE GIPSY'S

é moro, an' he drabbered saw the matchas adrée the panni, and rikkered avree his wardo sār pordo. A boro cheirus pauli dovo, the rye dicked the Rommany chal, an' penned, "You choramengro, did tute lel the matchas avree my panni

tchyas avree tute's panni, you'd bette

SLAT

a-drab (juice of the berries of Indicus cocculus) made up with bread, and poisoned all the fish in the pond, and carried away his waggonful. A long time after, the gentleman met the Gipsy, and said, "You thief, did you catch the

h in your pond, you had better b

THE GIPSY AN

with a bori churi adrée lester waster and chinned her sherro apré. An' then he rākkered to his kokerus, "Now that I've mored the sap, I'll lel the jivaben of my wenomest enemy." And just as he penned dovo lav he delled his pirro atut the danyas of a rukk, an' pet alay and chivved the churi adrée his

SLAT

at knife in his hand and cut her head off. And then he said to himself, "Now that I've killed the snake, I'll take the life of my most vindictive (literally, most venomous) enemy." And just as he spoke that word he struck his foot against the roots of a tree, and fell down and drove the k

STORY OF THE GI

n' these here geeros prastered apré ye rukk, an' the boro koorin' mush that was so flick o' his wasters chury'd first o' saw (sār), an' hatched duri-dirus from the puv pré the limmers. An' he beshed adoi an' dicked ye bullus wusserin' an' chongerin' his trushnees sār aboutus, an' kellin' pré lesters covvas, an' poggerin' to cutengroes saw he lelled for lesters miraben. An' whenever the bavol pudered he was atrash he'd pelt-a-lay 'pré the shinger-ballos of the gooro (gūro). An' so they beshed adoi till the s

SLAT

d at them; and these men hurried up a tree, and the great fighting man that was so handy with his fists climbed first of all, and got (placed) himself furtherest from the ground on the limbs. And he sat there and saw the bull tossing and throwing his baskets all about, and dancing on his things, and breaking to pieces all he had for his living. And whenever the wind blew he was afraid he would fall on the horns of the bull. And so they sat there

GIPSY AND HIS TH

d the wavers san lullerin adoi. So they jālled sār-sigán kett'nus, an' rākkered, "Sarshan!" ta yeck chairus. An' dovo ráklo didn't jin what jūva kaumed lester ferridīrus, or kun yuv kaumed ye ferridīrus, so sār the shtor besht-a-lay sum, at the habbenescro, and yuv del len habben an' levinor. Yeck

banders apré a tute, an' tute'

SLAT

g there. So they went all quick together, and said "Good evening," (sarishan means really "How are you?") at the same time. And that youth did not know which girl liked him best, or whom he loved best; so all the four sat down together at the table, and he gave them food and beer. One ate

(literally share out to you), and you will go

SIES AND THE SMUGG

in, an' dicked mūshis prasterin and lullyin for lenders miraben, sā's seer-dush, avree a boro hev. An' when len sān sār jālled lúg, the Rommany chāls welled adoi an' latched adusta bitti barrels o' tatto-pánni, an' fino covvas, for dovo mushis were 'mugglers, and the R

ommany chāls latch, there's

SLAT

g out, and saw men running and rushing as if in alarm, from a great cave. And when they were all gone away together, the Gipsies went there and found many little barrels of brandy, and valuables, for those men were smugglers, and the Gipsies

nd Gipsies find, nobo

TNO

ing, when one man declaring of a certain word that it was only kennick or slang, and not "Rommanis," added, "It c

he Rommany Rye: Lo

lda's Fortune," now publishi

y way of assertion and rejoinder, all the learned and wise sentences which they can recall. In their conversation and on their crockery, before every h

πατουνα, the sole of the foot, i.e.,

ner in Europa and Asi

rs losing his coat, two hundred years before he dies,

as I took them down from hi

or tale the koshters, they're kek kushti habben. The kushtiest are sovven sār the wen. Lel'em and tove

own or noted during conversation, and subsequently written out and read to a Gipsy, by whom it was corrected.

. When we find, however, that in German Rommany tscharo means goblet, pitcher, ves

ck o' the boro kind with kek ker apré him, an' del it apré the cāro of a kaulo kosh in the bor, and ear the bawris mullers, yeck divvus pāuli the wāver for shtār or p

merica, tobacco is both burned befor

, is intelligible to every Gipsy. In bo

King's Village, a term

úv-vas, like cove

Prayer in pure

os oteh drey o charos. Dey men todivvus more divvuskoe moro, ta for dey men pazorrhus tukey sar men for-denna len pazhorrus amande; ma muck te petrenn

1818. I call attention to the fact that all the specimens of the language which I give in this book simply repres

mean swindles. In America i

ide ch

evil land, but the Gipsy who gave

forced meaning there, can there, sir? Duvel (God) is Duvel all the world over; but correctly speaking, Vishnu is God's blood-I have heard that many ti

s bird, a griffin."-Bric

n Coptic sig

India had paid especial attention to all the dialects, I greeted him, as an experiment, with "Sarisham!" He replied, 'Why, that's more elegant than common Hindu-it's Persian!" "Sarisham" is, in fact, still

Slavonic origin, but many of these are also Hindustani. Moreover, Dr Miklosich treats as Gipsy words numb

ortune-

or less marked by tattooing. Infants of the first

s a greyish-white back, but is wi

me, "they spread out their clothes, and hold up their heads and look fine, and walk prou

common employment among t

were purely accidental with my narrator; but a

It is also true, the "hero" being a pash-and-pash,

Anglo-Saxon superstition very similar to that embodied in the sto

nds, but too well authenticated, of the persecutions to which their ancestors were subjected, render it very probable that it may have occurred as narrated. When Gipsies wer

arent indifference, Gipsies are in reality extre

t near Brighton, and afterwards repeated by