English Gypsy Language
A-C
This etext was prepared by David Price, email
ccx074@coventry.ac.uk,
from the 1905 John Murray edition.
ROMANO LAVO-LIL
WORD-BOOK OF THE ROMANY
OR, ENGLISH GYPSY LANGUAGE
WITH SPECIMENS OF GYPSY POETRY, AND AN
ACCOUNT OF CERTAIN GYPSYRIES OR
PLACES INHABITED BY THEM, AND
OF VARIOUS THINGS RELATING TO
GYPSY LIFE IN ENGLAND.
by George Borrow
Contents:
The English Gypsy Language
Romano Lavo-Lil: Word-book of the Romany
Rhymed List of Gypsy Verbs
Betie Rokrapenes: Little Sayings
Cotorres of Mi-dibble's Lil. Chiv'd Adrey Romanes: Pieces of Scripture
cast into Romany
The Lord's Prayer in the Gypsy Dialect of Transylvania
Lil of Romano Jinnypen: Book of the Wisdom of the Egyptians
Romane Navior of Temes and Gavior: Gypsy Names of Countries and Towns
Thomas Rossar-Mescro, or Thomas Herne
Kokkodus Artarus
Mang, Prala: Beg on, Brother
English Gypsy Songs
Welling Kattaney: The Gypsy Meeting
Lelling Cappi: Making a Fortune
The Dui Chalor: The Two Gypsies
Miro Romany Chi: My Roman Lass
Ava, Chi: Yes, my Girl
The Temeskoe Rye: The Youthful Earl
Camo-Gillie: Love Song
Tugnis Amande: Woe is me
The Rye and the Rawne: The Squire and Lady
Romany Suttur Gillie: Gypsy Lullaby
Sharrafi Kralyissa: Our Blessed Queen
Plastra Lesti: Run for it!
Foreign Gypsy Songs
The Romany Songstress
L'Erajai: The Frair
Malbrun: Malbrouk
The English Gypsies
Tugney Beshor: Sorrowful Years
Their History
Gypsy Names
Fortune-Telling
The Hukni
Cauring
Metropolitan Gypsyries
Wandsworth
The Potteries
The Mount
Ryley Bosvil
Kirk Yetholm
"Can you rokra Romany?
Can you play the bosh?
Can you jal adrey the staripen?
Can you chin the cost?"
"Can you speak the Roman tongue?
Can you play the fiddle?
Can you eat the prison-loaf?
Can you cut and whittle?"
The Author of the present work wishes to state that the Vocabulary,
which forms part of it, has existed in manuscript for many years. It is
one of several vocabularies of various dialects of the Gypsy tongue,
made by him in different countries. The most considerable - that of the
dialect of the Zincali or Rumijelies (Romany Chals) of Spain - was
published in the year 1841. Amongst those which remain unpublished is
one of the Transylvanian Gypsy, made principally at Kolosvār in the year
1844.
December 1, 1873.
{Special Project Gutenberg note: In this book a lot of non-European
characters are used which cannot easily be reproduced. Rather than omit
these entirely I have commented where they occur in the text. If there's
sufficient demand I'll try to produce an updated text with these
characters. David Price, 28 June 2000}
THE ENGLISH GYPSY LANGUAGE
The Gypsies of England call their language, as the Gypsies of many other
countries call theirs, Romany or Romanes, a word either derived from the
Indian Ram or Rama, which signifies a husband, or from the town Rome,
which took its name either from the Indian Ram, or from the Gaulic word,
Rom, which is nearly tantamount to husband or man, for as the Indian Ram
means a husband or man, so does the Gaulic Pom signify that which
constitutes a man and enables him to become a husband.
Before entering on the subject of the English Gypsy, I may perhaps be
expected to say something about the original Gypsy tongue. It is,
however, very difficult to say with certainty anything on the subject.
There can be no doubt that a veritable Gypsy tongue at one time existed,
but that it at present exists there is great doubt indeed. The
probability is that the Gypsy at present exists only in dialects more or
less like the language originally spoken by the Gypsy or Zingaro race.
Several dialects of the Gypsy are to be found which still preserve along
with a considerable number of seemingly original words certain curious
grammatical forms, quite distinct from those of any other speech. Others
are little more than jargons, in which a certain number of Gypsy words
are accommodated to the grammatical forms of the languages of particular
countries. In the foremost class of the purer Gypsy dialects, I have no
hesitation in placing those of Russia, Wallachia, Bulgaria, and
Transylvania. They are so alike, that he who speaks one of them can make
himself very well understood by those who speak any of the rest; from
whence it may reasonably be inferred that none of them can differ much
from the original Gypsy speech; so that when speaking of Gypsy language,
any one of these may be taken as a standard. One of them - I shall not
mention which - I have selected for that purpose, more from fancy than
any particular reason.
The Gypsy language, then, or what with some qualification I may call
such, may consist of some three thousand words, the greater part of
which are decidedly of Indian origin, being connected with the Sanscrit
or some other Indian dialect; the rest consist of words picked up by the
Gypsies from various languages in their wanderings from the East. It has
two genders, masculine and feminine; o represents the masculine and i
the feminine: for example, boro rye, a great gentleman; bori rani, a
great lady. There is properly no indefinite article: gajo or gorgio, a
man or gentile; o gajo, the man. The noun has two numbers, the singular
and the plural. It has various cases formed by postpositions, but has,
strictly speaking, no genitive. It has prepositions as well as
postpositions; sometimes the preposition is used with the noun and
sometimes the postposition: for example, cad o gav, from the town;
chungale mannochendar, evil men from, i.e. from evil men. The verb has
no infinitive; in lieu thereof, the conjunction 'that' is placed before
some person of some tense. 'I wish to go' is expressed in Gypsy by camov
te jaw, literally, I wish that I go; thou wishest to go, caumes te jas,
thou wishest that thou goest; caumen te jallan, they wish that they go.
Necessity is expressed by the impersonal verb and the conjunction
'that': hom te jay, I must go; lit. I am that I go; shan te jallan, they
are that they go; and so on. There are words to denote the numbers from
one up to a thousand. For the number nine there are two words, nu and
ennyo. Almost all the Gypsy numbers are decidedly connected with the
Sanscrit.
After these observations on what may be called the best preserved kind
of Gypsy, I proceed to a lower kind, that of England. The English Gypsy
speech is very scanty, amounting probably to not more than fourteen
hundred words, the greater part of which seem to be of Indian origin.
The rest form a strange medley taken by the Gypsies from various Eastern
and Western languages: some few are Arabic, many are Persian; some are
Sclavo-Wallachian, others genuine Sclavonian. Here and there a Modern
Greek or Hungarian word is discoverable; but in the whole English Gypsy
tongue I have never noted but one French word - namely, tass or dass, by
which some of the very old Gypsies occasionally call a cup.
Their vocabulary being so limited, the Gypsies have of course words of
their own only for the most common objects and ideas; as soon as they
wish to express something beyond these they must have recourse to
English, and even to express some very common objects, ideas, and
feelings, they are quite at a loss in their own tongue, and must either
employ English words or very vague terms indeed. They have words for the
sun and the moon, but they have no word for the stars, and when they
wish to name them in Gypsy, they use a word answering to 'lights.' They
have a word for a horse and for a mare, but they have no word for a
colt, which in some other dialects of the Gypsy is called kuro; and to
express a colt they make use of the words tawno gry, a little horse,
which after all may mean a pony. They have words for black, white, and
red, but none for the less positive colours - none for grey, green, and
yellow. They have no definite word either for hare or rabbit; shoshoi,
by which they generally designate a rabbit, signifies a hare as well,
and kaun-engro, a word invented to distinguish a hare, and which
signifies ear-fellow, is no more applicable to a hare than to a rabbit,
as both have long ears. They have no certain word either for to-morrow
or yesterday, collico signifying both indifferently. A remarkable
coincidence must here be mentioned, as it serves to show how closely
related are Sanscrit and Gypsy. Shoshoi and collico are nearly of the
same sound as the Sanscrit sasa and kalya, and exactly of the same
import; for as the Gypsy shoshoi signifies both hare and rabbit, and
collico to-morrow as well as yesterday, so does the Sanscrit sasa
signify both hare and rabbit, and kalya tomorrow as well as yesterday.
The poverty of their language in nouns the Gypsies endeavour to remedy
by the frequent use of the word engro. This word affixed to a noun or
verb turns it into something figurative, by which they designate, seldom
very appropriately, some object for which they have no positive name.
Engro properly means a fellow, and engri, which is the feminine or
neuter modification, a thing. When the noun or verb terminates in a
vowel, engro is turned into mengro, and engri into mengri. I have
already shown how, by affixing engro to kaun, the Gypsies have invented
a word to express a hare. In like manner, by affixing engro to pov,
earth, they have coined a word for a potato, which they call pov-engro
or pov-engri, earth-fellow or thing; and by adding engro to rukh, or
mengro to rooko, they have really a very pretty figurative name for a
squirrel, which they call rukh-engro or rooko-mengro, literally a fellow
of the tree. Poggra-mengri, a breaking thing, and pea-mengri, a drinking
thing, by which they express, respectively, a mill and a teapot, will
serve as examples of the manner by which they turn verbs into
substantives. This method of finding names for objects, for which there
are properly no terms in Gypsy, might be carried to a great length -
much farther, indeed, than the Gypsies are in the habit of carrying it:
a slack-rope dancer might be termed bittitardranoshellokellimengro, or
slightly-drawn-rope-dancing fellow; a drum, duicoshtcurenomengri, or a
thing beaten by two sticks; a tambourine, angustrecurenimengri, or a
thing beaten by the fingers; and a fife, muipudenimengri, or thing blown
by the mouth. All these compound words, however, would be more or less
indefinite, and far beyond the comprehension of the Gypsies in general.
The verbs are very few, and with two or three exceptions expressive only
of that which springs from what is physical and bodily, totally
unconnected with the mind, for which, indeed, the English Gypsy has no
word; the term used for mind, zi - which is a modification of the
Hungarian sziv - meaning heart. There are such verbs in this dialect as
to eat, drink, walk, run, hear, see, live, die; but there are no such
verbs as to hope, mean, hinder, prove, forbid, teaze, soothe. There is
the verb apasavello, I believe; but that word, which is Wallachian,
properly means being trusted, and was incorporated in the Gypsy language
from the Gypsies obtaining goods on trust from the Wallachians, which
they never intended to pay for. There is the verb for love, camova; but
that word is expressive of physical desire, and is connected with the
Sanscrit Cama, or Cupid. Here, however, the English must not triumph
over the Gypsies, as their own verb 'love' is connected with a Sanscrit
word signifying 'lust.' One pure and abstract metaphysical verb the
English Gypsy must be allowed to possess - namely, penchava, I think, a
word of illustrious origin, being derived from the Persian pendashtan.
The English Gypsies can count up to six, and have the numerals for ten
and twenty, but with those for seven, eight, and nine, perhaps not three
Gypsies in England are acquainted. When they wish to express those
numerals in their own language, they have recourse to very uncouth and
roundabout methods, saying for seven, dui trins ta yeck, two threes and
one; for eight, dui stors, or two fours; and for nine, desh sore but
yeck, or ten all but one. Yet at one time the English Gypsies possessed
all the numerals as their Transylvanian, Wallachian, and Russian
brethren still do; even within the last fifty years there were Gypsies
who could count up to a hundred. These were tatchey Romany, real
Gypsies, of the old sacred black race, who never slept in a house, never
entered a church, and who, on their death-beds, used to threaten their
children with a curse, provided they buried them in a churchyard. The
two last of them rest, it is believed, some six feet deep beneath the
moss of a wild, hilly heath, - called in Gypsy the Heviskey Tan, or
place of holes; in English, Mousehold, - near an ancient city, which the
Gentiles call Norwich, and the Romans the Chong Gav, or the town of the
hill.
With respect to Grammar, the English Gypsy is perhaps in a worse
condition than with respect to words. Attention is seldom paid to
gender; boro rye and boro rawnie being said, though as rawnie is
feminine, bori and not boro should be employed. The proper Gypsy plural
terminations are retained in nouns, but in declension prepositions are
generally substituted for postpositions, and those prepositions English.
The proper way of conjugating verbs is seldom or never observed, and the
English method is followed. They say, I dick, I see, instead of dico; I
dick'd, I saw, instead of dikiom; if I had dick'd, instead of dikiomis.
Some of the peculiar features of Gypsy grammar yet retained by the
English Gypsies will be found noted in the Dictionary.
I have dwelt at some length on the deficiencies and shattered condition
of the English Gypsy tongue; justice, however, compels me to say that it
is far purer and less deficient than several of the continental Gypsy
dialects. It preserves far more of original Gypsy peculiarities than the
French, Italian, and Spanish dialects, and its words retain more of the
original Gypsy form than the words of those three; moreover, however
scanty it may be, it is far more copious than the French or the Italian
Gypsy, though it must be owned that in respect to copiousness it is
inferior to the Spanish Gypsy, which is probably the richest in words of
all the Gypsy dialects in the world, having names for very many of the
various beasts, birds, and creeping things, for most of the plants and
fruits, for all the days of the week, and all the months in the year;
whereas most other Gypsy dialects, the English amongst them, have names
for only a few common animals and insects, for a few common fruits and
natural productions, none for the months, and only a name for a single
day - the Sabbath - which name is a modification of the Modern Greek
[Greek text: ].
Though the English Gypsy is generally spoken with a considerable alloy
of English words and English grammatical forms, enough of its proper
words and features remain to form genuine Gypsy sentences, which shall
be understood not only by the Gypsies of England, but by those of
Russia, Hungary, Wallachia, and even of Turkey; for example:-
Kek man camov te jib bolli-mengreskoenaes,
Man camov te jib weshenjugalogonaes.
I do not wish to live like a baptized person. {1}
I wish to live like a dog of the wood. {2}
It is clear-sounding and melodious, and well adapted to the purposes of
poetry. Let him who doubts peruse attentively the following lines:-
Coin si deya, coin se dado?
Pukker mande drey Romanes,
Ta mande pukkeravava tute.
Rossar-mescri minri deya!
Wardo-mescro minro dado!
Coin se dado, coin si deya?
Mande's pukker'd tute drey Romanes;
Knau pukker tute mande.
Petulengro minro dado,
Purana minri deya!
Tatchey Romany si men -
Mande's pukker'd tute drey Romanes,
Ta tute's pukker'd mande.
The first three lines of the above ballad are perhaps the oldest
specimen of English Gypsy at present extant, and perhaps the purest.
They are at least as old as the time of Elizabeth, and can pass among
the Zigany in the heart of Russia for Ziganskie. The other lines are not
so ancient. The piece is composed in a metre something like that of the
ancient Sclavonian songs, and contains the questions which two strange
Gypsies, who suddenly meet, put to each other, and the answers which
they return.
In using the following Vocabulary the Continental manner of pronouncing
certain vowels will have to be observed: thus ava must be pronounced
like auva, according to the English style; ker like kare, miro like
meero, zi like zee, and puro as if it were written pooro.
ROMANO LAVO-LIL - WORD-BOOK OF THE ROMANY
A
ABRI, ad. prep. Out, not within, abroad: soving abri, sleeping abroad,
not in a house. Celtic, Aber (the mouth or outlet of a river).
Acai / Acoi, ad. Here.
Adje, v. n. To stay, stop. See Atch, az.
Adrey, prep. Into.
Ajaw, ad. So. Wallachian, Asha.
Aladge, a. Ashamed. Sans. Latch, laj.
Aley, ad. Down: soving aley, lying down; to kin aley, to buy off,
ransom. Hun. Ala, alat.
Amande, pro. pers. dat. To me.
An, v. a. imp. Bring: an lis opré, bring it up.
Ana, v. a. Bring. Sans. Ani.
Ando, prep. In.
Anglo, prep. Before.
Apasavello, v. n. I believe.
Apopli, ad. Again. Spanish Gypsy, Apala (after). Wal. Apoi (then,
afterwards).
Apré, ad. prep. Up: kair lis apré, do it up. Vid. Opré.
Aranya / Araunya, s. Lady. Hungarian Gypsy, Aranya. See Rawnie.
Artav / Artavello, v. a. To pardon, forgive. Wal. Ierta. Span. Gyp.
Estomar.
Artapen, s. Pardon, forgiveness.
Artáros. Arthur.
Asā / Asau, ad. Also, likewise, too: meero pal asau, my brother also.
Asarlas, ad. At all, in no manner.
Asa. An affix used in forming the second person singular of the present
tense; e.g. camasa, thou lovest.
Astis, a. Possible, it is possible: astis mangué, I can; astis lengué,
they can.
Ashā / Ashaw, ad. So: ashaw sorlo, so early. Wal. Asha. See Ajaw.
Atch, v. n. To stay, stop.
Atch opré. Keep up.
Atraish, a. part. Afraid. Sans. Tras (to fear), atrāsït (frightened).
See Traish.
Av, imperat. of Ava, to come: av abri, come out.
Ava, ad. Yes. Sans. Eva.
Ava, v. a. To come.
Avata acoi. Come thou here.
Avali, ad. Yes. Wal. Aieva (really).
Avava. An affix by which the future tense of a verb is formed, e.g.
mor-avava, I will kill. See Vava.
Aukko, ad. Here.
Az, v. n. To stay.
B
BAL, s. Hair. Tibetian, Bal (wool). Sans. Bala (hair).
Baleneskoe, a. Hairy.
Balormengro. A hairy fellow; Hearne, the name of a Gypsy tribe.
Balanser, s. The coin called a sovereign.
Ballivas, s. Bacon. Span. Gyp. Balibá.
Bangalo, a. Devilish. See Beng, bengako.
Bango, a. Left, sinister, wrong, false: bango wast, the left hand; to
saulohaul bango, like a plastra-mengro, to swear bodily like a
Bow-street runner. Sans. Pangu (lame). Hun. Pang, pangó (stiff, lazy,
paralysed).
Bar, s. A stone, a stoneweight, a pound sterling. Span. Gyp. Bar. Hun.
Gyp. Bar. Hindustani, Puthur. Wal. Piatre. Fr. Pierre. Gr. [Greek: ]
(weight).
Bareskey, a. Stony.
Bark, s. Breast, woman's breast.
Bas / Base, s. Pound sterling. Wal. Pes (a weight, burden).
Bas-engro, s. A shepherd. Run. Bacso.
Bashadi, s. A fiddle.
Bata, s. A bee. Sans. Pata.
Bau, s. Fellow, comrade. See Baw.
Baul, s. Snail. See Bowle.
Baulo, s. Pig, swine. The proper meaning of this word is anything
swollen, anything big or bulky. It is connected with the English bowle
or bole, the trunk of a tree; also with bowl, boll, and belly; also with
whale, the largest of fish, and wale, a tumour; also with the Welsh bol,
a belly, and bala, a place of springs and eruptions. It is worthy of
remark that the English word pig, besides denoting the same animal as
baulo, is of the same original import, being clearly derived from the
same root as big, that which is bulky, and the Turkish buyuk, great,
huge, vast.
Baulie-mas, s. Pork, swine's flesh.
Bavano. Windy, broken-winded.
Bavol, s. Wind, air. Sans. Pavana. See Beval.
Bavol-engro, s. A wind-fellow; figurative name for a ghost.
Baw, bau, s. Fellow, comrade: probably the same as the English
country-word baw, bor. Ger. Bauer. Av acoi, baw, Come here, fellow.
Boer, in Wallachian, signifies a boyard or lord.
Beano, part. pass. Born.
Beano abri. Born out of doors, like a Gypsy or vagrant.
Bebee, s. Aunt. Rus. Baba (grandmother, old woman, hag); Baba Yagā, the
female demon of the Steppes.
Beng / Bengui,s. Devil. Sans. Pangka (mud). According to the Hindu
mythology, there is a hell of mud; the bengues of the Gypsies seem to be
its tenants.
Bengako tan, s. Hell. Lit. place belonging to devils.
Bengeskoe potan. Devil's tinder, sulphur.
Bengeskoe / Benglo, a. Devilish.
Bengree, s. Waistcoat. Span. Gyp. Blani. Wal. (Blāni fur).
Berro, béro, s. A ship, a hulk for convicts. Span. Gyp. Bero, las
galeras, the galleys; presidio, convict garrison.
Ber-engro, s. A sailor.
Bero-rukh, s. A mast.
Bersh / Besh, s. A year. Sans. Varsha. He could cour drey his besh, he
could fight in his time.
Bershor, pl. Years.
Besh, v. n. To sit: beshel, he sits.
Beshaley / Beshly, Gypsy name of the Stanley tribe.
Besh-engri, s. A chair. See Skammen.
Beti, a. Little, small.
Beval, s. Wind. See Bavol.
Bi, prep. Without: bi luvvu, without money.
Bicunyie, a. Alone, undone: meklis or mukalis bicunyie, let it alone.
Bikhin / Bin v. a. To sell. Hin. Bikna.
Bikhnipen, s. Sale.
Birk, s. Woman's breast. See Bark.
Bis, a. Twenty.
Bisheni, s. The ague.
Bitch / Bitcha, v. a. To send. Sans. Bis, bisa.
Bitched / Bitcheno, part. pass. Sent
Bitcheno pawdel. Sent across, transported.
Bitti, s. a. Small, piece, a little. This word is not true Gypsy.
Bloen / Blowing, A cant word, but of Gypsy origin, signifying a sister
in debauchery, as Pal denotes a brother in villainy. It is the Plani and
Beluñi of the Spanish Gypsies, by whom sometimes Beluñi is made to
signify queen; e.g. Beluñi de o tarpe (tem opré), the Queen of Heaven,
the Virgin. Blower is used by Lord Byron, in his 'Don Juan.' Speaking of
the highwayman whom the Don shoots in the vicinity of London, he says
that he used to go to such-and-such places of public resort with - his
blowen.
Bob, s. A bean. Wal. Bob: pl. bobbis, bobs.
Boccalo, a. Hungry: boccalé pers, hungry bellies.
Bokht, s. Luck, fortune: kosko bokht, good luck. Sans. Bhãgya. Pers.
Bakht.
Bokra, s. A sheep. Hun. Birka.
Bokra-choring. Sheep-stealing.
Bokkar-engro, s. A shepherd: bokkar-engro drey, the dude, man in the
moon.
Bokkari-gueri, s. Shepherdess.
Bokkeriskoe, a. Sheepish, belonging to a sheep: bokkeriskey piré,
sheep's feet.
Bolla, v. a. To baptize.
Bonnek, s. Hold: lel bonnek, to take hold.
Booko, s. Liver. See Bucca.
Bolleskoe divvus. Christmas-day; query, baptismal day. Wal. Botez
(baptism).
Bollimengreskoenaes. After the manner of a Christian.
Boogones, s. Smallpox, pimples. See Bugnior.
Bor, s. A hedge.
Boona, a. Good. Lat. Bonus. Wal. Boun.
Booty, s. Work.
Bori, a. fem. Big with child, enceinte.
Booty, v. a. To work, labour.
Boro, a. Great, big. Hin. Bura. Mod. Gr. [Greek: ] (heavy).
Borobeshemeskeguero, s. Judge, great-sitting-fellow.
Boro Gav. London, big city. See Lundra.
Boronashemeskrutan. Epsom race-course.
Bosh, s. Fiddle. Pers. [Persian: ] Bazee, baz (play, joke), whence the
English cant word 'bosh.' See Bashadi.
Boshomengro, s. Fiddler.
Bosno / Boshno, s. A cock, male-bird. Sans. Puchchin. Wal. Bosh
(testicle). Gaelic, Baois (libidinousness).
Boshta, s. A saddle.
Bostaris, s. A bastard.
Bovalo, a. Rich. Sans. Bala (strong).
Bowle, s. Snail. See Baul.
Brishen / Brisheno, s. Rain. Hun. Gyp. Breshino. Sans. Vrish. Mod. Gr.
[Greek: ].
Brisheneskey, a. Rainy: brisheneskey rarde, a rainy night; brisheneskey
chiros, a time of rain. Mod. Gr. [Greek: ].
Bucca, s. Liver. Sans. Bucca (heart). Wal. Phikat.
Bucca naflipen, s. Liver-complaint.
Buchee, s. Work, labour. See Butsi.
Buddigur, s. A shop. Span. Bodega.
Buddikur divvus, s. Shopping-day: Wednesday, Saturday.
Bugnes / Bugnior, s. pl. Smallpox, blisters. Gael. Boc (a pimple), bolg
(a blister), bolgach (small-pox). Wal. Mougour (a bud). Fr. Bourgeon.
Buklo, a. Hungry: buklo tan, hungry spot, a common. Hun. Gyp. Buklo tan
(a wilderness).
Bul, s. Rump, buttock.
Bungshoror / Bungyoror,s. pl. Corks.
Busnis / Busnior, s. pl. Spurs, prickles. Mod. Gr. [Greek: ] (pain,
torment).
Buroder, ad. More: ad. ne buroder, no more.
Bute, a. ad. Much, very. Hin. Būt.
Butsi / Buty, s. Work, labour.
Butying. Working.
C
CAEN / Cane, v. n. To stink.
Caenipen / Canipen, s. A stench.
Caeninaflipen, s. Stinking sickness, the plague, gaol-fever. The old
cant word Canihen, signifying the gaol-fever, is derived from this Gypsy
term.
Candelo / Cannelo, a. Stinking: cannelo mas, stinking meat. Sans. Gandha
(smell).
Callico / Collico, s. To-morrow, also yesterday: collico sorlo,
to-morrow morning. Sans. Kalya. Hin. Kal (to-morrow, yesterday).
Cana, ad. Now: cana sig, now soon. See Kanau, knau.
Cam, s. The sun. Hin. Khan. Heb. Khama (the sun), kham (heat).
Cam. To wish, desire, love.
Cam / Camello / Camo,v. a. To love. Sans. Cama (love). Cupid; from which
Sanscrit word the Latin Amor is derived.
Cambori / Cambri, a. Pregnant, big with child.
Camlo / Caumlo, Lovel, name of a Gypsy tribe. Lit. amiable. With this
word the English "comely" is connected.
Camo-mescro, s. A lover; likewise the name Lovel.
Can, s. The sun.
Can, s. An ear. See Kaun.
Cana, ad. Now: cana sig, now soon. See Kanau.
Canáfi / Canapli, Turnip.
Canairis. A Gypsy name.
Canior / Caunor, s. pl. Pease.
Canni. A hen. Span. Gyp. Cañi. Hun. Gyp. Cackni. Gael. Cearc.
Cannis. Hens.
Cappi, s. Booty, gain, fortune: to lel cappi, to acquire booty, make a
capital, a fortune.
Cas, s. Hay: cas-stiggur, haystack; cas kairing, hay-making.
Cas, s. Cheese. Lat. Caseus. This word is used by the pikers or tramps,
as well as by the Gypsies. See Kael.
Catches / Catsau, s. pl. Scissors. Hun. Kasza. Wal. Kositsie (sickle).
Mod. Gr. [Greek: ] Rus. Kosa.
Cato, prep. To; more properly From. Hun. Gyp. Cado. Wal. Katre
(towards).
Cavo, pron. dem. This.
Cavocoi. This here.
Cavocoiskoenoes. In this manner.
Caur, v. a. To filch, steal in an artful manner by bending down. Heb.
[Hebrew: ] Cara, incurvavit se. Eng. Cower.
Cayes, s. Silk. Pers. [Persian:] Span. Gyp. Quequesa. Sans. Kauseya.
Chal, s. Lad, boy, son, fellow. Connected with this word is the Scottish
Chiel, the Old English Childe, and the Russian Chelovik. See Romani chal.
Cháro, s. Plate, dish.
Chavali, s.f. Girl, damsel.
Chavi, s.f. Child, girl, daughter.
Cham, s. Leather: chameskie rokunies, leather breeches. Sans. Charma
(skin).
Chavo, s. m. Child, son: pl. chaves. Cheaus is an old French hunting
term for the young ones of a fox.
Charos / Cheros, s. Heaven. Wal. Cher.
Chauvo, s. See Chavo.
Chaw, s. Grass.
Chawhoktamengro, s. Grasshopper. See Hokta.
Chee, a. No,none: chee butsi, no work. See Chi, chichi.
Chericlo, s. Bird. See Chiriclo.
Chiricleskey tan, s. Aviary, birdcage.
Chi, s.f. Child, daughter, girl: Romany chi, Gypsy girl.
Chi / Chichi / Chiti, s. Nothing.
Chin, v. a. To cut: chin lis tuley, cut it down. Sans. Chun (to cut
off). Hin. Chink. Gaelic, Sgian (a knife).
Chin the cost. To cut the stick; to cut skewers for butchers and pegs
for linen-lines, a grand employment of the Gypsy fellows in the
neighbourhood of London.
China-mengri, s.f. A letter; a thing incised, marked, written in.
China-mengro, s. Hatchet. Lit. cutting-thing.
Chinipen, s. A cut.
Ching / Chingaro, v. a. To fight, quarrel.
Chinga-guero, s. A warrior.
Chingaripen, s. War, strife. Sans. Sangara.
Chingring, part. pres. Fighting, quarrelling.
Chik, s. Earth, dirt. Span. Gyp. Chique. Hin. Chikkar.
Chiklo, a. Dirty.
Chiriclo, s. m. Bird. Hin. Chiriya.
Chiricli, s.f. Hen-bird.
Chiros, s. Time. Mod. Gr. [Greek: ].
Chiv / Chiva / Chuva, v. a. To cast, fling, throw, place, put: chiv lis
tuley, fling it down; chiv oprey, put up. Rus. Kyio (to forge, cast
iron). Sans. Kship.
Chiving tulipen prey the chokkars. Greasing the shoes.
Chofa, s.f. Petticoat.
Chohawni, s. Witch. See Chovahano.
Chohawno, s. Wizard.
Chok, s. Watch, watching.
Chok-engro, s. Watchman.
Chok, s. Shoe: chokkor, chokkors, shoes. Hun. Czókó (wooden shoe).
Choko-mengro. Shoemaker.
Choka, s. Coat.
Chokni / Chukni, s. Whip. Wal. Chokini (a strap, leather). Hun. Csakany
(a mace, sledge hammer). Hun. Gyp. Chokano (a staff). Wal. Chokan,
chokinel (a hammer).
Chukni wast, s. The whip-hand, the mastery.
Chollo, a. s. Whole.
Chomany, s. Something. Span. Gyp. Cormuñi (some); chimoni (anything).
Wal. Chineba (some one). For every chomany there's a lav in Romany:
there's a name in Gypsy for everything.
Chong, s. Knee. Hun. Czomb. Sans. Chanu. Lat. Genu.
Chongor, pl. Knees.
Choom / Choomava, v. a. To kiss. Sans. Chumb. Choomande, kiss me. Span.
Gyp. Chupendi (a kiss), a corruption of Choomande.
Choomia, s. A kiss.
Choomo-mengro, one of the tribe Boswell.
Choon, s. Moon. Hun. Gyp. Chemut. Sans. Chandra.
Choot, s. Vinegar. See Chute.
Chore, v. a. To steal. Sans. Chur.
Chore, s. Thief. Hin. Chor.
Chories, pl. Thieves.
Chor-dudee-mengri, s. [Greek: ] (thieves' lantern, dark lantern).
Choredo, a. Poor, poverty stricken. Sans. Dāridra.
Choredi, fem. of Choredo.
Choriness, s. Poverty.
Choro, a. Poor. Span. Gyp. Chororo. Hin. Shor.
Chovahan, v. a. To bewitch.
Chovahani / Chowián, s.f. Witch.
Chovahano, s. Wizard.
Choveno, a. Poor, needy, starved. Perhaps derived from the Russian
Tchernoe (black, dirty, wretched); or from the Hungarian Csunya
(hateful, frightful); whence the Chungalo of the Hungarian, and also of
the Spanish Gypsies.
Choveni, fem. of Choveno.
Choveno ker, s. Workhouse, poorhouse.
Chukkal, s. Dog. Span. Gyp. Chuquel. Sans. Kukkura. Basque, Chacurra.
See Juggal.
Chumba, s. Bank, hill. Russ. Xolm (a hill).
Chungarava / Chungra,v. a. To spit. Wal. Ckouina. Hun. Gyp. Chudel (he
spits).
Churi, s. Knife. Sans. Chhuri. Hin. Churi.
Churi-mengro, s. Knife-grinder, cutler.
Churo-mengro, s. A soldier, swordsman.
Chute, s. Vinegar. Mod. Gr. [Greek: ] Wal. Otset.
Chute-pavi, s. Cyder; perhaps a crab-apple. Lit. vinegar-apple.
Chuvvenhan, s. Witch. See Chovahani.
Cinerella. Female Gypsy name.
Cocal, s. Bone. Mod. Gr. [Greek: ]
Cocalor, pl. Bones.
Coco / Cocodus, s. Uncle. Hin. Caucau.
Cocoro / Cocoros, a. pro. Alone, self: tu cocoro, thyself.
Coin, pro. interrog. Who? Hin. Kaun.
Collor, s. pl. Shillings: dui collor a crookos, two shillings a week. In
Spanish Germania or cant, two ochavos, or farthings, are called: dui
calés.
Comorrus, s. A room, hall. Hun. Kamara. Hin. Cumra. Ger. Kammer.
Cong, congl, v. a. To comb.
Congli / Congro, s.f. A comb. Sans. Kanagata.
Congri, s.f. A church.
Coor / Coorava, v. a. To fight. Irish, Comhrac [courac]. Welsh, Curaw
(to beat).
Coorapen, s. Fight, a beating: I shall lel a curapen, I shall get a
beating.
Cooroboshno, s. A fighting cock.
Cooromengro, s. Fighter, boxer, soldier.
Coppur, s. Blanket. Rus. Kovér (a carpet). Wal. Kovor, id.
Corauni / Corooni, s. A crown: mekrauliskie corauni, royal crown. Wal.
Coroan.
Cori, s. Thorn. Membrum virile. Span. Carajo [caraco]. Gascon, Quirogau.
Coro / Coru, s. Pot, pitcher, cup: coru levinor, cup of ale; boro coro,
a quart. Span. Gyp. Coro. Hin. Gharã.
Coro-mengro, s. Potter.
Coro-mengreskey tem. Staffordshire.
Corredo, a. Blind. Span. Gyp. Corroro. Pers. [Persian:] Wal. Kior
(one-eyed).
Cosht / Cost, s. Stick. Sans. Kāshtha.
Cost-engres, s. pl. Branch-fellows, people of the New Forest, Stanleys.
Coshtno, a. Wooden.
Covar / Covo, s. Thing: covars, things; covar-bikhning-vardo, acaravan
in which goods are carried about for sale.
Crafni, s. Button. Ger. Knopf.
Crafni-mengro, s. Buttonmaker.
Creeor, s. pl. Ants, pismires. Span. Gyp. Ocrianse (the ant), quiria
(ant).
Cricni / Crookey / Crookauros / Crookos, s. Week. See Curco.
Cuesni, s. Basket. See Cushnee.
Culvato (Gypsy name). Claude.
Curaken, s. Fighting. See Coorapen.
Curepen, s. Trouble, affliction: curepenis, afflictions.
Curkey / Curko, s. Week, Sunday. Mod. Gr. [Greek: ]
Curlo, s. Throat. Pers. [Persian: ] Chin his curlo, cut his throat.
Curlo-mengri, s. A ruff, likewise a pillow; anything belonging to the
throat or neck.
Cushnee / Cushni / Cusnee, s. Basket. Wal. Koshnitse.
Cuttor, s. A piece, a guinea-piece: dui cuttor, two guineas; will you
lel a cuttor, will you take a bit? sore in cuttors, all in rags.