Indian Antiquary Vol 15

Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 21

JANUARY, 1886.]
AN ENGLISH-GIPSY INDEX.
15
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Pending the formation of a complete Gipsy- care abortion, they keep fowls (which no orEnglish Vocabulary, it has been thought best thodox Hindû will do), and are said to eat to include these words in the Index.
carrion. They are also great musicians and In every case we have given a reference to horsemen. the book whence the word has been taken, so Mr. Fleet has drawn my attention to a Souththat no difficulty will be experienced in find Indian inscription given in the Ind. Ant. Vol. ing it.
XI. p. 9ff, in line 50 of which a certain Dômma Mr. Leland has made a happy suggestion is mentioned. On p. 10 of the same volume, Mr. that the original Gipsies may have been Dôms Fleet says with reference to him, "in connection of India. He points out that Romany is with him (Rudradêva), the first record in almost letter for letter the same as Ta, the
this inscription is that he subdued a certain
Dômma, whose strength evidently lay in his plural of डोम. डोमनि is the plural form in
cavalry. No clue is given as to who Dômma the Bhôj'pêri dialect of the Bihari Language.
was; but as dima, domba, or dama, is the name It was originally a genitive plural; so that Ro
of 'a despised mixed caste,' he may have been many-Rye, 'a gipay gentleman,' may be well
the leader of some aboriginal tribe, which had compared with the Bhöj'puri T T4, (Skr. not then lost all its power." If this conjec31419 TT), 'a king of the D 8 ms. The ture is true, it would show that the Dôme extenBhôj'puri-speaking Dôms are a famous race, ded over the greater part of India, and in some and they have many points of resemblance with places possessed considerable power. the Gipsies of Europe. Thus, they are darker But the resemblance of the Bhỏj'pûrt and in complexion than the surrounding Biharis, Gipsy dialects is not confined to a similarity are great thieves, live by hunting, dancing, and of name. The Gipsy grammar is closely telling fortunes, their women have a reputation connected with Bhồi'püri, or with its original for making love-philtres and medicines to pro- | Apabhramśa Magadhi Praksit, thus:Gipsy.
Bhojpuri. Magadhi Prdkrit. Nom. Rom
डोम Obl. Sing. Romês
डोम (gen.) डोमस्स or डोमास
डोमन or (gen.) डामण्णं Obl. Plur. Romên
डोमनि Nom. kalo, .black'
काला Obl. kalê
काले Genitive Termina- koro
tion of nouns and pronouns 3rd sing. pres. lêla, 'he takes' 3rd sing. past. lêlas, he was taking' ME, 'he took. 1st sing. fut. jav, 'I will go
जाब Past part.
gelo, 'gone' 1st sing. fut. kama keräva, 'I will do , 'I will do.' Infinitive keråva, 'to do'
pa, 'to do.' These examples might be continued at great evident to any orie studying the accompanying length; but the above is sufficient to show the Index. The following mongrel, half-Gipsy, close grammatical connection between the two half-English, rhyme, taken from Borrow, will languages. The vocabularies possess even more shew the extraordinary similarity of the two numerons points of resemblance, which will be vocabularies :Gipsy The Rye
he mores adrey the wesh. English squire hunts within
wood. Bhoj'port राय
अण्डल
TT (Prs. ) Gipsy kaun-engro .
and chiriclo. English ear-fellow (hare)
bird. Bhojpuri कान-वाला
चिड़ई
कर
लेला
मारे