Secret Indian Language of Europe? | History of the Romani language by a Romani person

Hey y’all! Thank you again for all the support and interest for the previous three episodes, it means the world to me. This episode we discuss the Romani language, it’s history and significance to Roma today. I fell sick halfway through making the video so that’s why my voice changes and I look a little more pale so excuse my cracking voice in the second part. Hope y’all enjoyed and learned something new!
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
0:51 Origins
2:43 Macrolanguage
3:22 Secret language
5:49 Indian cognates
6:54 Spoken example
7:40 Conclusion
#romani #history #language #india

[@MariaV0071]

My ancestors are from Bihar, Agra, etc. region. They were human trafficked by the English to work for the Dutch. Even though I am fifth generation born outside of India, I am proud being Hindu, proud of my Bhojpuri language. We also say biya for wedding, day before wedding is bhatwaan. Listening to you telling us about your history warms my heart. This is the connection we have, no matter where on earth we live.

[@akkkkk813]

Love you bro from Bihar ❤️❤️❤️ maan khush baa thal baat sun ke😭😭

[@abhask8409]

Namastey Mariya. I belong to Bihar. You pronounce Biya and we called that word vivaah.

[@MariaV0071]

@@abhask8409 you must understand, the Bhojpuri I speak is 150 years old. Bhojpuri today is strongly influenced by Hindi.

[@abhask8409]

@@MariaV0071 yes, I can't speak Bhojpuri, but understand this language. Very similar to Hindi.

[@abhask8409]

@@MariaV0071 would like to know more about Romani people, I mean our brothers and sisters History. Thank you

[@hemantakumarmalik2710]

I am sure, one day, Romani people will be treated as Indian diaspora. Keep it up brother. From India with love.

[@mohdadeeb1829]

It has been 1,000 years. Romani are Europeans now!

[@user-ru1ki]

​@@mohdadeeb1829 They are not Europeans by their customs. Armenians and Jews became even more European than them within less than 1000 years but still considered as diaspora living away from their motherland like Armenia and Israel... Your statement is not so correct, dear friend.

[@user-ru1ki]

They surely are.

[@mohdadeeb1829]

@@user-ru1ki First of all, Jew is not an Ethnicity its a religious group. When Jews were exiled from Israel and moved to Europe they intermixed with and converted a lot of Europeans hence the origins of Ashkenazi Jews. Second, Those Jews identify with their country first and their so-called motherland Second. Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud etc. As for Armenians, they have only been exiled for about 100 years and even then most of them are Americans or Brazilians first and Armenian Second. As for Romani, as they migrated to Europe, they and and their custom started to intermix with other groups like Persians, Turks, Armenians, Romanian etc. A Romani Person living in Romania has much more in common with a Romanian than an Indian. And if Romanis were Indians, they would have never left. And as far as I can tell, Florin is an American and it is only American thing to do "reclaim your roots."

[@user-ru1ki]

@@mohdadeeb1829 First of all Jew is ethnicity and nationality and not a religious group ! I'm Jewish and all my ancestors are Jews by nationality and ethnicity, we never had any religion we just have our Jewish blood ! During WW2 and as a result Holocaust we were eliminated due to our ethnicity ! Most of us were secular and had no connection to any religion ! What a horrific ignorance ! I just cannot believe that ! Einstein and Freud were Jews and knew exactly who they were ! The first one run away to America because he had a very good idea who exactly was he... Second, I know very well about Armenians have Armenian relative here married to my distant cousin. Also their genocide wasn't religious but an ethnic one. They are very nationalistic people, even more than Jews, and identify themselves with their ethnicity first of all... Concerning Gypsy people, some of them did intermix but some of them didn't. The ones who didn't, like so many of them in different countries like Britain, Portugal and so still preserve their language, customs and traditions.... Concerning reclaiming roots, it is not an American thing at all. Many people do it and it is actually typical to Jewish people... Greetings from Israel.

[@SKP-op4vd]

Lotsa love to the Romani people from an indian hindu person here. I was amazed to hear that your word for Cross was actually 'Trishul' which is the sacred Hindu symbol for Lord Shiva. 🕉

[@shu830]

I really feel for the Romani community. Not only because we share history and blood but because it's so sad seeing a culture as beautiful as this to be suppressed. Europeans act like they're the champions of Human rights but at the same time don't even want to acknowledge the existence of Romani people it seems to me.

[@NhatMaisq1wg]

Ohh, the last part is exactly it.Europe is stuck in time and actively still trying to supress these horrific parts of its legacy while Roma are systemically treated as subhuman.Roma are literally scapegoats all over Europe. Europe is not the champion of human rights, it is the champion of hiding its awful doings by erasing history and silencing the people they opress.

[@DeccanPS]

Get ready to see apologia for European behavior in the comments section, claiming How Romani themselves are bad and Europeans are not be blamed for it.

[@Aven-Sharma1991]

Shu: That’s why I don’t even respect these firangi Europeans. I admire their culture and heritage but for their superiority? It’s off putting. We don’t want them in India if they think they are better than us. They can remain in their countries and forget about coming to India

[@bitemeqwertyuiop5691]

​@@DeccanPS Ikr. All the gaslighting will prepare us all for a migraine 😵‍💫

[@lyndseyfifield]

The only people suppressing the Romani people are their leaders who won't let them get educated, culturally insist that prison is a "right of passage" for men (limiting their abilities for life), and shun anyone who wants to succeed (or, for girls, get married later than their teens). There are many Romani who no longer belong to their communities because they realized it was a toxic culture-and now they're very successful all around the world. The illusion of discrimination disappears when people realize you're not part of a group of people who are going to rob them, scam them, or abuse them. There are even support group networks for them-but they have to meet in secret because gangs of Romani will target them for abuse. Kind of ironic given the subject of the video, eh?

[@AK-ed4sn]

Grá mór from an Irish person! Native languages being used as a means of protection from and resistance to oppressors is a common thread across history, but I'm especially reminded of how Gaeilge has been used by Irish people fighting English colonial rule from the Tudors to the Troubles. The Romani language is absolutely beautiful, and I hope it stays a source of strength and pride for the Roma. 💚

[@adrianadumitru1308]

It's so nice finding a Romani speaker on KZbin. You are right about teaching our language to others. It's a defense system and also a way to have a private conversation in the middle of a crowd. It's kinda cool.

[@Somesomesame337]

I totally understand this sentiment. We speak one of the lesser known Dravidian languages and it is a boon.

[@adrianadumitru1308]

@@Somesomesame337 exactly

[@user-ru1ki]

It reminds me Ashkenazi Jews in ex Soviet Union when they were discriminated, persecuted because of their nationality and forbidden to speak their own language, so they used it just at home.

[@avtarchana609]

I am a Sikh-Hindu, my family is from Punjab. Having lived most of my life outside of India-Bharat, have realised that you will never be accepted as a native of these foreign countries. For many years, I have considered myself fortunate that I never become a 100% native. My Bharti languages, Dharma (religion but not the same) and culture (Sanscriti) gave me a solid foundation of being a Bharti and extremely proud. You have proved that it extremely important not to let go of your heritage, otherwise you will loose yourself in the sea of insignificance. I greet you with 🙏 Sat-Siri-Akal and Jay Sita Ram. Parmatma (God, just an indication and not the same) bless you with strength and well being to carry on with your good sincere work. 🙏🙏

[@Deepak_Dhakad]

Ashashvi bavah

[@rajanya157]

​@@Deepak_Dhakadयशस्वी भव होता है। स्वभाषा स्वलिपि अपनाना भी धर्म है रोमनलिपि त्यागने से और देवनागरीलिपि अपनाने से ही आर्यधर्मदेशभाषाजातिवृद्धि होगी अतः देवनागरीलिपि अपनाओ सङ्कोच कैसा क्या ऐसा न करने के लिए किसीने मुँहहाथपाँव थोड़े बाँध रक्खे हैँ।।

[@Mrityormokshiya]

Hi Florian, I'm a first generation Hindu Bengali immigrant in Europe and I've learned early on the connection Romanis have to India. I used to have a Romani classmate who was bullied, and I was her only friend that time. My mom was once called an anti-Romani slur because she went out without bindi and was mistaken for a Romani . Since then I have thought that Europe must do better. If there's any organisation which promotes Romani human rights, do educate us because I would like to support any way I can 🙏🏽. Also Romani words you told sounds so much like my mother tongue Bengali! The numbers, but especially the way you say dui (2) is same to same. And biya (wedding) is same. Especially the word you use for priest is very interesting. Maybe some religious practices you have which different from other Europeans may be some remnants?

[@abhask8409]

Agree with you. For example biya korbo. Dwi ta acche.

[@abhask8409]

Dada namastey

[@shu830]

The thing seems intriguing to me the most as an amature linguistic here is, Latin Romantic languages and Indic Sanskrit languages both belong to the same family but are divided by thousands of millennas and by so much distance. The Romani languages should be celebrated as a beautiful reunion between the two linguistic groups coming from the same family and preserved. It will be a sad day when if even one of these languages die out because of hate and supression.

[@user-jp2mf2vt4p]

the name is *indo-European, the origin is already there.

[@shu830]

@@user-jp2mf2vt4p the origin is being debated. I'm on the Anatolia side of theory but also believe that at this point it just.... doesn't matter. I mean, people move, languages move.

[@ssi44]

i think sanskrit has its origin in India and it is not indo-european

[@shu830]

@@ssi44 I agree that it's origins are in India, the biggest proof of that is Rig Ved. But that doesn't prove that it ISN'T Indo-European. Latin and Sanskrit have a lot of similar words and to deny that is purposefully being blind.

[@ssi44]

@@shu830 words are usually picked up but grammar shows the origin

[@vinoopmalkani5350]

Hi. I am an indian and i dont see much of a difference in appearance between you and me. And i understood the numeric count and other words which you mentioned are identical . But i understood only a few words when you spoke the language . We may be living in different continents but we are still brothers . And the indians and the roma's are one family ❤

[@Mars-zn1jefd]

Romani history in Euskal Herria (all of Basque Country) is interesting. Erromintxela is the name given to Basque Roma and it’s also their language: a Kalderash dialect + Euskara pidgin. It’s completely impossible to understand for any Basque, Spanish/Castilian or Caló speaker, and that was seemingly the goal: when Kalderash people established themselves in EH around 1425-1450, they mixed up their own language with the one they heard from non-Roma to make understanding impossible and thus maintain privacy. Erromintxela people consider themselves Basque in the first place, Erromintxela in second, and finally, Roma. In fact, they differenciate themselves from any other Roma people, whom they call hankagorriak, or “the red-legged ones”. Sadly though, there are only around 500 Erromintxela speakers left in South Euskal Herria - most of them, older than 80. It isn’t being passed onto the following generation, so middle-aged Basque Roma can understand it but can’t speak it, and the younger generations can’t even understand it, as Spanish, Basque and Caló are their preferred languages. In Northern Euskal Herria there are around another 500 speakers left, although there’s still a generational teaching, so Erromintxela will survive longer there. There’s even a festivity celebrated in some towns of Gipuzkoa that’s inspired by Kalderash: it’s called Kaldereroak. The festival takes place the first Saturday of February, and it celebrates the arrival of the Kalderash to town. It's been celebrated since the 19th century, and every year since the 50s (because of Franco's fascist dicatorship that would persecute any non-Castilian cultures).

[@dharmadasagunasekera9204]

i am a descendant of Indian diaspora to Sri Lanka 2500 years ago. I am very impressed by the Roma community's ability to preserve some aspects of their culture, despite the fact that they were forced to segregate from the majority community where they lived. Similar to the Jews in some ways. I speak Sinhala and can understand many words you say. Also I speak a little hindi because it is very similar to Sinhala having differentatied during the middle-indo-european era - I think a similar time frame when the Roma started migrating out of India. I am also a bharatantyam and Flamenco dancer and see many similarities in the flamenco dance form to traditional indian dance forms. Also in the music. I have also witnessed and sometimes experienced the racism of whites in europe for Roma - or those who look like them. It's unfair and sad. But I hope things can improve between the 2 groups in the future. I live in the US now and am proud of my status as a SOuth Asian diapora person. Keep up the good work. Roma - remember NO ONE can take away your humanity without your consent :)

[@dharapatel2909]

I am from Gujarat, india. I have seen many videos about romani language and I found that 80% vocabulary is same as Gujarati and we speak Gujarati same as you speak romani language on routine basis . So much similarity like kan, pani, ek, be, three which is tarn

[@sskpsp]

There is a something dialectical in how the Roma have held onto the culture to the very end: those who speak a language natively with no restrictions might not see the importance of learning and preserving it, which is tragic; those who suppress a language are just cruel, nothing more can be said; but those who suffer oppression for their language are the ones who know its true value. As an Indian immigrant to the US, I sympathize with this struggle to a degree, but my experience is far less intense than what the Romani people face, so I deeply admire you for it.

[@challennarose270]

Don't worry it is preserved - not just in families but online by my uncle. Many don't agree with what he did, but in my mind it was so important. There are so many forced into not passing the language down to their children. It's for them even if some others might exploit it.

[@petersz98]

The word "pal" meaning friend in English apparently comes from the Romani language.

[@florida.florian]

yes it comes from Romani “phral” meaning Brother

[@vinoopmalkani5350]

The meaning of "pal " in hindi means " moment " Florian can explain us better in Romani

[@DrRiq]

​@@florida.florian incredible!

[@nathanoyeght]

Phral - the word for brother in Romani is the origination word for 'pal'. However, Phral is a mutated form of Bhrata (brother in Sanskrit), you can still find 'praa or pra-ji or paa-ji' as words to refer to brother or addressing someone as brother in Punjabi language. The word for moment/second in Sanskrit is 'pal' and totally unrelated. Also, it is spoken a bit differently. The 'a' sound in English 'pal' and Sanskrit 'pal' are different

[@RaikageSama]

​@@vinoopmalkani5350 pal is moment, paal is brother/friend in hindi.

[@shu830]

6:22 see when you're saying these words it's so amazing to me that yes they're literally the same in Hindi, but the way you say it sounds SOOOOOOO close to regional accents of Punjab, Sindh and Rajasthan. there are a few differences of course, but still.

[@ashiko7376]

Yes, they say he spoke sounded a bit like Gujarati and Greek.

[@LiveLoveLife-DownUnder]

Oh my God, never knew about Romani people yet so many words you said in the video are exact like Bengali. Thanks for educating on Romani people. I am from Bangladesh living in Australia. I am so surprised to see you guys preserved your language so well for over thousand year. My 5 year old can hardly speak Bengali and she is first generation here. Wish you guys best of luck and love your way ❤

[@Ahmed-ob6ec]

If you speak to your child in Bengali they should be able to converse in Bengali quite freely.

[@prashanttarhun7786]

'Keep going brother'.. You're the voice of many of the people , so don't stop.. You're doing really a good job by spreading awareness among youths .. Most of us, indians also don't know about that we'll support you always .. Keep going bro,from your channel we get to know our long lost brother & sisters.. I want to know more and more about roma , it's quite fascinating that u all still holding and preserving your roots.. It's not a easy task , we also know what you'll gone through centuries and even today.. So don't stop , keep motivating your people and embrace your heritage.. Maa Kali will bless you .❤

[@urmilajithoo6511]

Florian... Your presentation is always enlightening, especially coming from Romani. All thru my life I have felt empathy for the Romani and have had an interest in the history. What you are sharing in invaluable. In 1987 while on a holiday in Italy with my two daughters, some Romani children (know by the derogatory term, gypsy) spotted us three Indians on the street... And got in conversation with us for about an hour . It was the most beautiful experience of that holiday. Somehow we communicated with words to the song... like Raj Kapoor.. Mera joota hai japani..... Etc.. Thank you my friend... With love and blessings from a 2nd generation South African Indian.

[@zoomzoom7444]

The persecution of Romani people is heartbreaking 💔 So amazing you survived. Please keep up your wonderful work. God bless you Florian 🙏

[@phoenixj1299]

Thank you for the roma community for staying strong and keeping the vitality of the language intact.

[@veenahatolkar6297]

Sooooo Proud of you Florian !!! suddenly had tears in eyes when you said "In a sea of non-roma our only defence is our Language" - it hit home bro........Btw , Will u plz try making a video about Dom People ? are they considered a part of Roma , how simillar their language & customs are to Roma , Do they also have our beloved Kali ma ? - Love , India.

[@cheryldidur2300]

The continuing oppression and persecution of Romani throughout so many countries is unacceptable. It springs from ignorance, fear, bigotry as does antisemitism and racism. Thank you for sharing your knowledge because education can change minds and hearts.

[@cindchan]

Thank you for speaking in Romani for us! I have no problem with you not translating it and I respect your privacy in that! It was wonderful just getting to hear what your language sounds like!

[@duncansonoryan]

That's a fascinating lesson! Thank you for sharing, Florian! You're creating a record of your knowledge of your people, and it's really rad. Keep up the good work.

[@vi11236]

Such a wonderful human...it's rare to come across such wonderful ppl like you ...keep smiling ,be happy ND shine on dear one

[@FruityShangTsung]

I just came across your channel and as an Armenian I appreciate that you do not forget us 🙏 much love ♥️

[@NexForemose]

I would love to learn the language of our people. My grandmother was adopted, so I'm having to find out about our people through the internet. Your videos have been a huge help.

[@user-sg9qh3ni4g]

I've recently watched a Venezuelan telenovela by the name Kassandra and couldn't help but want to learn more about the culture of the Roma people. I'm happy I found you. Thank you very much for creating your channel. The love and effort you pour into it is evident. As for languages, I think they give new perspectives to see the world and give an unique insigh to the culture it belongs to. The sole fact that romani is a closed practice shows that Roma, despite living across the world, in so many different places really love their people and want to protect each other from such barbaric opressions. Thank you for opening a little window into your culture and for teaching us about it. Saludos! 🇲🇽

[@adushack1982]

I am so happy to have come across your channel! I'm of Romani descent and so glad to learn more about my people and ancestors. Thank you so so much!

[@nadhanpoovenchery2950]

As a person who recently moved out of India, and learns ancient Indian history, the romani people are one of the most amazing ethno groups out of India that has persevered even through constant persecution spanning centuries.

[@jenniferconally7738]

This was so emotional hearing my mother language I’m so greatfull to speak it now I appreciate this thank you Florian. Your a incredible person for shining the light on to us Romani people, I feel like I don’t have to hide my language from others. I send you love and prayers from uk. Thank you!

[@peasandmashedpotatoes6246]

florian thank you so much for sharing your history and culture with us: this is such valuable information to share and i’m so grateful that you’re blessing us with this 💕

[@abhishes]

Wow! I wish more Indian people saw this video. Didn't know we share this much. Always thought that even though you started from India there might be nothing in common because of at-least 1000 years of migration. This is amazing that you retained so much of language and culture.

[@DrVKParmar]

Brilliant! So informative! Keep up the good work!

[@saleelapatkar732]

Kudos Florian. All the best. Speak for your people.

[@Somesomesame337]

Another triumph of a video, man. Keep doing what you’re doing.

[@gracecadet3244]

Hi Florian. I just wanted to let you know that I think you're doing a fantastic job on these videos. I have learned so much about a people group that I have always been drawn to and fascinated with, and I feel like you're the first source I've ever found of first-hand information that hasn't been dramatized for media. I don't know if you're already planning on it or not, but I wanted to suggest maybe making a video on how modern Indians and other Indian immigrants generally feel about the Romani today. Are relations brotherly, or on the more judgmental or hostile side? But honestly I'll just watch any video you put out lol, I'm always looking forward to the next one. Also, thank you so much for sharing the beautifully melodic tones of your language with us even though it is closed. You were right, even without translation it was a lovely opportunity to get to hear the cadence. Keep up the great work, and God bless! 🙏💜

[@DeccanPS]

Great video. Very informative. Keep up the good work👍

[@Msaleksaa]

Felicitări Florian, doar ce am descoperit canalul tău, superb conținut din toate punctele de vedere. Este minunat sa vad un tânăr Romani mândru! România are multe de învățat cand vine vorba despre discriminare, keep spreading the word 👏

[@bitemeqwertyuiop5691]

Another great video. Thank you 😊 I'm amazed at how Roma have managed to keep their language sticking to it's Indian origins even after being away from the region for so long.

[@potatolord8677]

This was super interesting! Thank you for giving an example of the language spoken, it was beautiful. It's also fascinating to learn the history of Roma groups and how varied the cultures can be by region! You are doing amazing and valuable work bringing light to the various aspects of Romani history or culture. I hope your lessons can reach more people!

[@chxrryn4502]

Greetings from Australia! Just wanted to say you are doing such great work to educate the world on the Romani culture and origin with your videos! There is such a heavy stigma and negative portrayal of Roma people everywhere in the media across the world. I wanted to find a source that wasn’t so polarised to better understand Romani history. Thank you so much for this video and keep up the good work!!

[@incryowl]

Thank you for such an interesting lesson. It's quite small but very informative :D There are so many things people need to know about this wonderful culture! I remember first learning about Romani culture through the Soviet film named "Табор уходит в небо". Almost all of the actors are of Romani background because the director Emil Lotyanu wanted to be as respectful as possible. Which is also the reason why all the songs in that movie are performed by the members of "Ромэн"-theater, theater created by Romani people, their main goal is to celebrate Romani culture and to show it proudly to the world. This theater still exists and is located in Moscow.

[@bujorel]

super super videourile tale! mersi ca le faci, so needed!!

[@genisfibla8710]

There's also a connexion to Kashmiri and Dardic languages I think. And some research papers about the genetic origins of Romani people have shown some patrilineal proximity to Kashmiri pandits as well as to Marwari and Jats from Punjab (the latter show a genetic disease with Romani people). Meanwhile, the matrilineal DNA is closer to Central Indian or South East Indian groups (from today's Andhra Pradesh).

[@ranga274]

👏 not enough words to say that this is a beautiful reslient video. History preserved

[@dianakovacheva2536]

With every new video I learn something new and incredibly interesting, it makes me appreciate how truly unique Romani culture is and how little people really know about it. Looking forward to the next video!!!

[@meowlayla3769]

Thank you for making these videos. They are incredibly informative and interesting ❤

[@Sylvia-fz8xx]

This was so interesting! Thank you.

[@Deepak_Dhakad]

I'm Rajasthani person. Yes we call it byav for wedding.

[@moonchild848]

Hello Florian, I really enjoyed this video and I must say that hearing the old quote/saying in the Romani language is stunningly beautiful. I am happy to have found your channel and look forward to learning much more about your unique culture.

[@logannaidoo9667]

thank you Florian - amazing abundant knowledge you possess and share with us -

[@farhanazaman8938]

This is so sad, kudos to you for highlighting and raising awareness. And you explain so eloquently.

[@aaajjj9632]

Very intriguing and enchanting vid. I am 67 man in India, my roots are Rajasthan, have also spent 26 yrs in usa, now back. I thought I am extremely well read including geography, cultures, languages. But I did not know about the Romani word or info in your vid. Some pics in your vid remind me of my own ancestors. I am feeling a deep connection with you all. Beautiful charming people. Purposely in Hindi for you: MAI ROMANCHIT HOON, YE SAB JAAN KAR (i enthralled am, this all knowing by) (translation). With love.

[@kerriefearby9542]

Please keep producing your videos, I am learning so much and find it all fascinating. Hi from Australia 🦘🦘🦘

[@Richardanjno]

Excellent utube. Always glued to your utubes. Keep up the good work. Thanks

[@Anonymous-cf8fq]

Love,love ur videos❤keep making these, they r so very imp! We acknowledge ur efforts:)

[@peppiedemetro8848]

thank you for being a voice for us and educating people

[@IvoTichelaar]

Good, finally some in-depth information from a Roma. I have seen a Dutch documentary about Romani and the main focus was on kind of a matriarch. The filmmaker kept asking questions and the matriarch wasn't having it. The filmmaker was welcome to film life and festivities, but don't ask for information that was not being shared. Just observe and accept. I did not fully understand why (neither did the filmmaker) and have been on the lookout for information that *was* being shared by Romani themselves. Glad I found you and the hiding of language and culture makes a lot more sense now. I was social worker (Netherlands) and had some contact with Romani in that period. I could feel generations of unhappy circumstances in them and their living conditions and socioeconomic status were clearly still very different form most people in our country.

[@233asha]

Be safe as you go on your journey. Linage blessings.

[@penashe17]

Information about Romani culture, history, & language from Romani sources and perspective has been difficult to come by, so this is fascinating and a valuable resource! Thank you. Hope you'll keep it up. New subscriber. As a Hindi learner I could completely understand most of the vocabulary examples you gave.

[@sherryab3964]

I learn so much and I look forward to more.

[@74enchantingnight]

Some how I came across your videos and have learned so much. Thank you for sharing about your culture and history.

[@stephanienikols9831]

This is awesome 👏 ❤

[@ss-zz6ii]

We support you , love from india , so much love ❤

[@tessagunputh8972]

Such interesting and insightful topic. I am so pleased to find your videos

[@233asha]

Thanks for sharing. Dna has strength. All in this journey 🙏

[@namtellectjoonal7230]

I don't understand a word, but the romani language is just beautiful to listen to without knowing what is being said

[@satishnair2353]

You are doing great work

[@subikshasubramani7380]

This is so beautiful. Learnt so much

[@user-pb3sb3un7n]

Brilliantly done. I hope you continue your education and educating others. You did a very nice job presenting this. I appreciate your time in making this video and presenting this information about our people.

[@Athelete1982]

Thanks brother for such an amazing information .

[@nannaxie9405]

I have nothing to contribute except that I like listening to you speaking so much. You have such a pleasing pronounciation, it's really asmr. English or Romani alike.

[@user-ru3zw6lz9h]

Florian, thank you so much for your channel. I first learned about Romani people a decade ago when I got into comic books and learned that the first Robin was Romani. As I looked into what this meant, I was astounded to learn that there was this entire community originally from South Asia, just like me, yet I had never heard of them before. Since then, I have eagerly tried to learn as much as I can about your beautiful people and culture. It has been hard to find information (which I understand now, thanks to your explanations) but I am so, SO grateful that you've taken the time to share parts of your culture with us all. I truly hope for your community to thrive and for the horrible oppression directed towards Romani people to be vanquished.

[@FoodNerds]

I’ve learned more from you about Roman culture in general then I have in the last four years of research. Even though I’m part Sinti I’ve been researching more Eastern European, Roma, culture and experience and language. I haven’t found a good source for the Sinti language. I used to be fluent in German though I’m no longer flight because it’s been so long since I’ve spoken it. But I have found out that a lot of modern Sinti speak German. I also study Turkish for two years just simply because I’ve always been fascinated by turkey and I got to go and I loved it. My professor used to speak very badly about the Roma nearest the G word. Finally I got tired of it and I’ll talk to him and his office and I told him about me being Sinti and that we’re part Roma, and that we’re not thieves or low class pariahs which I know is a Indian word. He apologized, but he told me he excused his statements by saying that that’s what he had encountered and turkey. And I told him I’m sure that you haven’t encountered only pariahs who are Roma in turkey. And he again apologized. I was shocked that a professor could be so racist.

[@EB-do8wn]

Such a beautiful language! Thank you for sharing with us

[@user-ik4xq9hm1x]

Hi, Florian. I'm not sure how I stumbled on your videos. I'm not Roma but since I can tell by your accent you're North American and because I'm much older than you I want to share with you some memories about Roma persecution as well as it relates to your video. Where I was born in the North Central United States there had been a migration of Roma in the 50's in horse and mule driven vardos which I know is "traditional" only in the sense that Roma were only on the move in wagons due to persecution on both sides of the Atlantic keeping them constantly on the move. This migration was a bit before I was born, but even when I was little, my mom's aunt who lived alone on a farm had a vardo. Since every inch of land on plains is a part of somebody's ranch, to this day it's normal for people to use people's farms for things like hunting and travel as many towns are only accessible by driving through multiple people's property. What happened was that a Roma family had asked to park their vardo on her ranch for the night but then, under suspicion that they were stealing her silverware and jewelry, went out and started shooting at them with a shotgun. In their panic to flee the bullets, one of the wheels of their vardo got stuck in the mud and broke so they just fled as fast as they could on foot leaving the wagon with all of their belongings behind. I don't know exactly when it was, but I remember seeing it on her property when I was still young in the 70's by which time it was extremely rare to see Roma. I only remember seeing one family in a vardo pulled by mules but by then everyone in that area of the country was in a panic about "gypsies" and since there were none around the persecution shifted to other groups, mainly Mexican migrants so that any time somebody crossed the state line who appeared foreign it would be in all the papers and the police would come and force them to leave, even following their cars for hundreds of miles to the border make sure they completely left the state . Anyone from out of town or who was different was suspected of being a "gypsy including a group of people who had been in the area since the 19th century called the Hutterites who lived on their own communes and still speak a medieval Germanic dialect as their first language which is not mutually intelligible with modern German. They're like the Amish other than the fact that they use modern technology like combine harvesters and minivans. For example, I remember as late as the late 90's and early '00's, every time the Hutterites showed up at Walmart to buy cloth which was an almost daily occurrence, people would accuse them of being "gypsies" and surround them as soon as they entered the parking lot and follow them around the whole time they were in the store to make sure they weren't stealing. Everyone was always worried about "gypsies". Despite this, many people, exclusively women, claimed to be "gypsies" and I'll tell you why if you don't already know, but it's why I'm telling you this story. In order to clarify, we must step back a bit in time to the American Civil War. During that time, Southern plantation owners began claiming to have Cherokee ancestry, always from a supposed "Cherokee princess", even though such a thing doesn't exist in their culture. This was because they wanted to simultaneously have a claim to royalty in order to elevate themselves with the European aristocracy as well as to claim hereditary right of ownership to the lands of the Southern states. This leventually ed to just about every white person in the US as well as a number of black families claiming some type of Indigenous tribal ancestry, usually Cherokee, but often mixing it up with other tribal identities, most commonly, Chippewa, Choctaw and Mohawk, all claims which were embraced with renewed vigor by young middle class white kids during the 60's in order to co-opt Indigenous persecution in order to explain the "persecution" they felt as teenagers by parents or as social liberals by the mainstream conservative culture of the 50's. Then, as a massive migration of these white middle class teens swept the country, all headed to California, they began claiming to be "gypsies" which is immortalized in lots of old hippie songs such as, Most famously those of Fleetwood Mac and this created a culture that lasts to the present of white American women with no Roma ancestry claiming to be gypsies in order to explain why they can't hold down a job or stable living situation as well as to add valitity to their claims of being psychic and having magical powers only, within the past decade they have learned to start claiming to be Roma rather than gypsy because, due to the advent of the internet, they've begun learning about the Roma and learned that they can utilize Roma persecution as an additional persecution to co-opt. I know that there is still a very large Roma population in the US and that many Roma have passing privilege among the dominant culture, but I also can't ignore the massive amounts of white American women I've encountered claiming Roma heritage who are obviously doing so in order to feel special and to convince people they have magic and psychic abilities. I'm definitely not saying that anyone should ever try to tell who someone is by appearance because that is racial profiling and nazi race "science" and so that's not what I'm doing either, it's not their appearance, it's the way that it's presented. I spent much of my early life in American counter culture circles and I can tell you that if you spend any time in the counter culture almost every single woman you encounter over the age of 30 (and even a lot of younger ones) is at some point is going to end up claiming to be Roma and claiming that it gives them special knowledge and abilities and is also synonymous with their fashion choices. That's why I'm writing all this about your video. I'm very grateful you would share this very private part of your culture but I worry that the type of people I am talking about will latch onto the words you have gifted us here and use them to further their erroneous claims to authentic Roma heritage, especially the numbers, so I'm not writing all this so much for you but for any of them that may read this because I know it won't be long before some of these people use the words for numbers you gave us to concoct some type of invented "gypsy/Roma" magical numerology system which will be used for things like tarot divination which I'm sure will be on New Age bookstore shelves before long, but I shared that I have witnessed the persecution and can tell that things are much better now from when I was a kid, so the good reasons to share this information about your language probably far outweigh the negative so I don't want what I'm writing to make you question yourself or feel worried about having been so generous with this information. I can tell already by the other comments that it has helped people in many wonderful ways. The only reason I mentioned all of this is as a warning to any cultural appropriators who will watch this video that they are seen and to back off and leave your people in peace and respect.

[@THOLAKHA]

Thank you for making these video's. My great grandmother was Romani. When I was young I always tried to learn something about this heritage, but was very hard to find information. Very good to share about the Romani people, as they have been misunderstood and prosecuted throughout time. It's time to bring things to light, and recognise and respect the beauty that comes with the language and people.

[@riddhiksingh]

1st your look ❤ 2nd your information 🔥 Love the Video 💯💗 Love from India ❤

[@longuaorg]

Thank you😊

[@satsatdown]

I love your work and this channel is very important, I am Indian origin living in the UK, not many people know about the suffering of the Romani

[@khalidalmuallem4769]

Very happy to come across a Romani youtuber. Wishing you lot of success

[@Srsrsrst]

Thanks for sharing

[@wendytube007]

I am so glad that you started this channel I love linguistics. I always had so many questions about the Romani language and there was no where that was really answering them. Being Canadian and not necessarily coloured by Europe’s stigma of Romani coupled with a Mum who was British and told me of many happy adventures with her British Romani friends in the countryside in the 30s, i’ve always had a curiosity. I am married to a British Gujarati whose family came from Uganda so their language is peppered with Swahili and not always fully understood by people on the subcontinent. So even within 2 to 3 generations there was changes in some of the words. That the Romani kept so much over such a long period of time is really an accomplishment.

[@ba8898]

Absolutely fascinating. Surely a topic for a future video has to be the Romani contribution to music. Where did the musicality of the Romani come from? Does it have any documented origin in the pre-exodus Roma culture in India? How did it evolve so diversely based on geographical location, from flamenco in Spain to the Roma music of Eastern Europe, the Balkans and Eurasia? What common threads, if any, unite these different musical styles of the Roma? So many fascinating questions! Keep up the great content!

[@coolgirl-ck4ts]

​ @Florian I have seen some Roma words in google and most of the words are similar like "nav" in Romani is "namam" in Sanskrit and "nav" is also what we say in Marathi. "phen" in Romani is similar to "behn" in Hindi and in Punjabi its sounds similar(sister). "divas" in Romani is same as "divas" in Marathi, "divase" in Sanskrit(day). "khelel" is also similar to "khel" in Hindi and "khelati" in Sanskrit(My most favourite word by the way which means to play). I hope these words are right as Romani speaker you may know Correct me If I'm wrong . I've searched many more but this is full on same so I like to share these few words. Keep going on educating more about your culture. Love your Channel From India🇮🇳

[@claireabunga]

Beautiful language ❤️ thanks for this and if you have any commentary on jazz musicians like Biréli Lagrène and Django Reinhardt as expression of Roma culture, these are some of my favorite musicians to listen to!

[@maximillian496]

I have always felt that I am Indian, since I was little and I used to go to the cinema with my parents to watch an Indian film, I noticed the linguistic similarities and I was surprised that I understood some Indian words, because they were found in our vocabulary that we spoke, parents my people had customs like those of the Indians, they ate with their hands, and we have a lot of customs similar to the Indians, this means that they have been preserved very well during such a long period of 1000 years, and now at my 60th birthday, I hope we will be recognized by the authorities Indians as a minority, we are lost by our country India!

[@minecraftbhau3802]

Happy to hear from you brother ❤️❤️❤️ please come to India specially Rajasthan that's your mother land. That's the land "mitti" which your ancestors belong to.

[@Prettybrwngypsy]

Absolutely beautiful and thank you for sharing. Education is key if there is going to be change ❤❤

[@camibvaz]

Just found your channel and I love it. It's a mixture of genetic and linguistic studies, along with learning about a culture. TBH, before your channel I only knew the Roma from works like Carmen and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, as well as that one Nightwing origin story

[@kyakpasaa]

Very interesting 👍🏼❤️

[@ashiko7376]

As an person of Indian origin who speaks Hindi and Urdu and lives learning languages, I would like to learn Romani. Maybe one day!

[@riddhiksingh]

You guys presereve you culture and langusge very well even after so many odds ❤

[@abhask8409]

Namastey all Romani brothers and sisters from India.

[@vivek1692asd]

U r doing great work..keep doing 👍

[@ValerieHartwich]

Thank you so much for the warm, clear, concise and super articulate way you are sharing about your people and their culture with us. I am learning so much thanks to your videos, especially about where the stereotypes come from, as I i did about the stereotypes about Jews from a series of lectures by Timothy Snider and guests on modern day Ukraine. It's incredibly sad and fruatrating that enduring stereotypes seem to come from the oopresive conditions of people seen as outsiders and undesirables, and thus are in fact self-fulfilling prophecies of hate and abuse. I hage already ahared your videos, and hope you get the aupprt and revognition you deserve! Thank you for your work!

[@rajprasad5899]

Love to you from India.❤

[@RJ-lk6qn]

That was wonderful to hear the Indian words! From india

[@chetan.gondaliya]

When I was watching a youtube video, of a Romani man speaking, i felt like he's my lost brother. Love from Gujarat India ❤🤗🙏