# Non-gypsy



## faranji

They call them gorgios in England, gajes in Brazil, payos in Spain... 

I'd like to know what is the term used by gypsies in your country to refer to non-gypsies. 

Thank you all!


----------



## cajzl

in the Czechlands (probably in Slovakia, too):

*gadža *(read: gajah) or *gadžo *(in the singular number)


----------



## Outsider

I think the word that Gypsies use in Portugal today is *gajão* (there are probably other words for it). Curiously, I think that this is the augmentative of another word which has become widespread in Portugal, and is now used by Gypsies and non-Gypsies alike, _gajo_ ("guy").


----------



## MOC

I think gajão is just a more respectful way of referring to non-Gypsies in Portugal (not sure though). I believe that word is used as the augmentative of "gajo" as well. As outsider said "gajo" is now used by everyone (meaning "guy"). 
Gypsies at least around here use gadjo to refer to non-gypsies. 
I always thought this happened because it was a way of saying "gadje" (foreigner in romani).


----------



## Hakro

The traditional Finnish word for gypsy is "mustalainen". It could be translated _black person_ (musta = black). It refers to the black hair that is common to the gypsies but very rare among Finns.

Nowadays it's illegal to use the word "mustalainen".

Gypsies use a corresponding word "*valkolainen*" about us non-gypsies (valko = white). Funny enough, this word is not illegal.


----------



## OldAvatar

In Romania, gipsies use two terms for non-gipsies:* rumân *(sg., masc.)* / rumâncă *(sg., fem.)and *gagiu *(sg., masc.)* / gagică *(sg., fem.).

Both terms got into Romanian language too, especially *gagică,* as a slang word defining a nice girl.


----------



## Chazzwozzer

I'm not gypsy so I don't know the exact answer, but if you ask how they call(as in yelling etc) non-gypsies, then it's *"abla"* (sister) or *"abi"*(brother).


----------



## Whodunit

For German:

gypsy: *Zigeuner*

non-gypsy: *Nicht-Zigeuner*

gorgio: *Gadscho* (pl. *Gadsche*)


----------



## floridasnowbird

non-gypsy:

for German:

metaphorically: Sesshafter


----------



## Forero

OldAvatar said:


> In Romania, gipsies use two terms for non-gipsies:* rumân *(sg., masc.)* / rumâncă *(sg., fem.)and *gagiu *(sg., masc.)* / gagică *(sg., fem.).
> 
> Both terms got into Romanian language too, especially *gagică,* as a slang word defining a nice girl.



Do Romanians ever use _rumân(că)_ for _român(că)_?  Just curious why _Romania_ in English is sometimes written and pronounced _Rumania_.


----------



## Alijsh

Chazzwozzer said:


> I'm not gypsy so I don't know the exact answer


ditto  We say *kowli* to gypsy but I don't know what gypsies call us non-gypsies.


----------



## jmx

In Spanish we have these words of gypsy origin : gacho / gachó (man) and gachi / gachí (woman). As fas as I know, they can refer to men or women of any ethnicity, but I've found it interesting that they seem to be related to words mentioned in previous posts.

Also interesting is that, in Catalan, the words 'paio' and 'paia', originally used by gypsies to refer to the rest of the population, have entered the everyday language, meaning simply man and woman.


----------



## Outsider

jmartins said:


> Also interesting is that, in Catalan, the words 'paio' and 'paia', originally used by gypsies to refer to the rest of the population, have entered the everyday language, meaning simply man and woman.


That's what happened with _gajo_ and _gaja_ in peninsular Portuguese.


----------



## OldAvatar

Forero said:


> Do Romanians ever use _rumân(că)_ for _român(că)_?  Just curious why _Romania_ in English is sometimes written and pronounced _Rumania_.



Especially in American English, *Romania *is sometimes written *Roumania>Rumania *because they've got the name from the French *Roumanie. *So, it hasn't got anything to do with gipsies.

Romanians do not use *rumân.* The term was used for centuries by Turkic nations (especially Turks but also some Turkish speaking Tatars) to name the Latin people from the Eastern Roman Empire. i.e. people from *Rum (Rome).*


----------



## Josh_

In Arabic a gypsy is غجري (ghajari) and the word for non- is غير (ghayr) so I believe a non-gypsy would be غير غجري .


----------



## Jana337

In Czech - gadžo. The pronunciation of "dž" is like "j" in English.


----------



## doman

In Vietnamese language, gypsy is Di-gan,    , and if they were in Vietnam, the non-gypsy will be "người Việt" -Vietnamese, of course !  

Maybe they will call Vietnamese Gajoviet...


----------



## KaRiNe_Fr

It's "gadjo" in French I think (meaning "blanc" as "non-gipsy" isn't it? cf. the movie "gadjo dilo" meaning "le blanc fou").


----------



## Qcumber

KaRiNe_Fr said:


> It's "gadjo" in French I think (meaning "blanc" as "non-gipsy" isn't it? cf. the movie "gadjo dilo" meaning "le blanc fou").


I thought French-speaking Gypsies called the French *gadjé* not gadjo.


----------



## KaRiNe_Fr

Qcumber said:


> I thought French-speaking Gypsies called the French *gadjé* not gadjo.


It seems that gadjo/gadgé/gadji work too in slang.


----------



## e.ma

Josh_ said:


> In Arabic a *gypsy* is غجري (*ghajari*) and the word for non- is غير (ghayr) so I believe a non-gypsy would be غير غجري .



It seems that _you_ are calling _them_ non-gipsies (if you read this thread)


----------



## MissChief

Wow, this is the topic I have been looking for!
In Dutch we don't actually have a word for this, but I was wondering if anyone could help me with my search.
Can the feminine word for gajo also be spelled as gaja or would it be gadja?
What if I would like to add the word lolo (red) would it be gaja lola/ lola gaja...
In other words; how do I derive the grammar?

Thanks a lot!


----------



## Outsider

In Portuguese, the feminine is _gaja_ indeed. In Romany, I do not know.


----------



## gorilla

In Hungary they just call us non-gypsies: 'Hungarian' ('magyar').
Maybe there is another word, but I never hear that.


----------



## jonquiliser

It seems in Swedish it would be "gajos" or "gajé".


----------



## e.ma

Outsider said:


> In Portuguese, the feminine is _gaja_ indeed. In Romany, I do not know.




It could be _gaji (gají?)_, as most feminines in Romany end on _-i_

MissChief (nice nick): _gají lolí?_

In Spanish Romany _(calé)_ we have _gachí_ (female) and _gachó_ [see jmartins, #12], with probably just the same meaning. 
Then maybe _paya/payo_ were the non-Gipsy way to say it?


----------



## avok

faranji said:


> They call them gorgios in England, gajes in Brazil,


 


cajzl said:


> in the Czechlands (probably in Slovakia, too):
> 
> *gadža *(read: gajah) or *gadžo *(in the singular number)


 


Outsider said:


> I think the word that Gypsies use in Portugal today is *gajão* (there are probably other words for it). Curiously, I think that this is the augmentative of another word which has become widespread in Portugal, and is now used by Gypsies and non-Gypsies alike, _gajo_ ("guy").


 


jmartins said:


> In Spanish we have these words of gypsy origin : gacho / gachó (man) and gachi / gachí (woman). As fas as I know, they can refer to men or women of any ethnicity, but I've found it interesting that they seem to be related to words mentioned in previous posts.


 
Hellooooooo,

I have made all those quotes because all the words that mean "non gypsy" in those languages look like the gypsy word *"Gacı"* in Turkish !! But it simply means " a woman". It does not mean non-gypsy. But I guess all these words are related, right??


----------



## Encolpius

gorilla said:


> In Hungary they just call us non-gypsies: 'Hungarian' ('magyar').
> Maybe there is another word, but I never hear that.


 
I think Romas use *gádzso.*


----------



## Mahaodeh

Josh_ said:


> In Arabic a gypsy is غجري (ghajari) and the word for non- is غير (ghayr) so I believe a non-gypsy would be غير غجري .


 
I'm not aware of a name for non-gypsies in Arabic, I don't believe there is. However, since gypsies are nomads (one way or the other, at least) I would imagine they would use the word for non-nomad in Arabic, which is HaDari حضري.


----------



## sokol

Encolpius said:


> I think Romas use *gádzso.*



This is literally the same as all the other versions (gajo, Gadsche, etc.) - it is the native Gypsy word (the word used in _Romanes_, _Roman _or whatever the local Gypsies call their language in their mother tongue). All versions of "non-gypsy" that sound like 'gajo' or similar are derivatives of this and terms used *by the Roma *to mean* Non-Roma.*

This is very important, because people who aren't Rom should not use these terms like 'gajo' - it is used only by those who belong to the group (and also those who are outsiders to the group but accepted by the Roma as 'friends': I know a few people who have such close links to Gypsies and who also may use 'gajo', because they are accepted by the Roma as being part of them, in a way).

All other terms - like 'Non-Gypsy' (if this at all exists) or 'Nicht-Zigeuner', are different, they may be used by outsiders only.
The Arabic terms quoted by Mahaodeh might be such words for Non-Gypsies used by Non-Gypsies, right?


----------



## Polak2008

"Polacy" (Polish people)
I don't think they have any special word......
but they cal themslves Roma


----------



## SofiaB

In Romanes (Gypsy language) it is gajo(m) gaje f) gaji pl) These or some variations can be found in countries with Gypsies.


----------



## Destruida

KaRiNe_Fr said:


> It seems that gadjo/gadgé/gadji work too in slang.



_Gadje _collectively or for a woman, _gadjo _specifically a man. They also say _les sédentaires_ (as opposed to travellers.)
In British Romany Jib (dialect) it's usually _gorger_.


----------



## Destruida

sokol said:


> This is very important, because people who aren't Rom should not use these terms like 'gajo' - it is used only by those who belong to the group (and also those who are outsiders to the group but accepted by the Roma as 'friends': I know a few people who have such close links to Gypsies and who also may use 'gajo', because they are accepted by the Roma as being part of them, in a way).


Well said! Even then - even if you're married into a family and have children, live on the road, everything - you shoulpdn't assume or presume and should always be respectful adn not proud. Anyway, respect is an essential tenet of traditional gypsy life.


----------



## Perseas

In my country I 've heard that Roma people  also use the term "balamo" for non-Roma people. I 'm not sure about its meaning, maybe it means "different", "white".


----------



## apmoy70

Hi Perseas, «μπαλαμό» /bala'mo/ and «μπαλαμνό» /bala'mno/ are words of the Sepeči Romani (i.e. dialect of the Roma living in the Balkans and Turkey) and describe the non-Roma ethnic Greek; the non-Roma ethnic Turk is _Xoraxaj_, while the non-Roma in general, is _Gadže_ or _Gomi_.

For more information: ling.uni-graz.at/~rombase/cgi-bin/art.cgi?src=data/ethn/topics/gadscho.cs.xml


----------



## Perseas

Σ' ευχαριστώ για την πληροφορία, apmoy70


----------



## morior_invictus

Slovakia:

As far as I know, Romani in Slovakia use the following terms:

*gadžo/goro* (pl. gadže/gore) = a non-Romani man [as opposed to "rom" - a Romani man]
*gadži/gori* (pl. gadža/gora) = a non-Romani woman [as opposed to "romni" - a Romani woman]
*raklo* (pl. rakle) = a non-Romani boy [as opposed to "čávo" (pl. čáve) - a Romani boy (boys)]
*rakli* (pl. rakľa) = a non-Romani girl [as opposed to "čaj" (pl. čaja)]

In Bratislava, white people (usually young people) tend to use the above incorrectly. One may hear "gadžo" (or "gádžo") when a male human is mentioned/addressed (regardless of his age) and also some people use it to address even a male gypsy (  ). When addressing or speaking of a female human, young people tend to use the form "gadžinka" / "gadžovka" (or "gádžinka" / "gádžovka"). White people do not use the plural form "gadže" but "gadžovia" (or "gádžovia") and "gadžovky" / "gadžinky" (or "gádžovky" / "gádžinky").

To my experience, very few people use the term "raklo" and if they do, its intended meaning is completely different (and again, incorrect) (it's used as an expletive).

Also, white people use the word "čaja" as a singular term for a girl (or one's girlfriend) and "čávo" as a singular term for a guy (or one's boyfriend). 

This usage is very slangy.


----------



## francisgranada

In Eastern Slovakia _*gádžo *_is used by the Roma not only in the generic sense of "non-Romani man", but also in the meaning of _peasant/country man/country jay/man from village _... The word _gádžo _it is used occasionally also by Non-Gypsy (Slovak) people _derogatorily  _in this meaning.  _Gadžovka _is linguistically the Slovak female version of _gádžo _in this derogatory sense (I don't know if this form is present also in the Romani language itself; the regular female is _gádži_).

As to _čha_ and _čhaj_ (Romani/Gypsy _boy _and _girl _- in nominative case), these words are present also in the Hungarian slang in the form _csávó _(from the stem _čhav_-) and _csaj_, documented from 1862.


----------



## Chrzaszcz Saproksyliczny

In Polish, it is actually "gadzio" (pl: "gadzie") (sounding probably the same as the Slovakian and Czech counterparts)


----------



## Lorenzogreen

I know that Romanichal gypsies use gorger or gorja (derogatory) .


----------



## Delvo

Ronald Lee's English-Romani dictionary (Kalderash dialect) says _Gazhikano_ as an adjective, _Gazho_ as a noun for a boy or man, and _Gazhi_ as a noun for a girl or woman. There is also a grammatically feminine noun, _Gazhikaníya_, for "non-Romani culture" or "non-Romani environment", and a grammatically masculine noun, _nav-gazhikanes_, for a Romani person's non-Romani name for use in places where their true, Romani names would not be accepted.

Cognates of "gypsy", _gipso_ for a boy/man and _gipsáika_ for a girl/woman, mean someone who might seem Romani to outsiders but isn't, such as Roma-impersonating fortune tellers or Renaissance festival cosplayers, Irish Travellers or other non-Romani nomads, and New-Agers who have adopted fragments of Romani culture or paraphernalia mixed with fragments from other cultures.


----------



## ilocas2

*bílí* (= white, plural)


----------



## SharkB8

In America a non gypsy is called a "Buffer" or "Gorger"


----------

