Czigany

/ˈtsiɡɑːni/ noun

Definition

Another spelling of Romani or Gypsy people, particularly used in Central and Eastern European contexts.

Etymology

From Hungarian 'cigány,' borrowed from Greek 'atsinganos,' which originally meant 'untouchable' or came from a Greek religious sect. The word traveled through languages as Romani populations migrated across Europe.

Kelly Says

The Romani people have been called many names across different countries—czigany in Hungary, gitanos in Spain, tsiganes in France—but they call themselves the 'Roma,' and their actual language, Romani, is an Indo-Aryan language that shows they originally came from India.

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