Angloromani Language

Angloromani Language

Angloromani or Anglo-Romani (literally "English Romani", or Pogadi Chib) is a language combining aspects of English and Romani, which is a language spoken by the Romani people; an ethnic group who trace their origins to the Indian subcontinent. Angloromani is spoken in the UK, Australia, the US and South Africa.

The language combines a mix of Romani and English. The original Romani language was spoken in England until the late nineteenth century; perhaps a generation longer in Wales. It was replaced by English as the everyday and family language of British Romani, but this does not mean the language disappeared entirely. Words of Romani origin were still used as part of a family-language. Words which are occasionally inserted into English conversation are referred to in linguistic literature on Romani as 'Para-Romani': the selective retention of some Romani-derived vocabulary following the disappearance of Romani as an everyday language of conversation.

Anglo-Romani is thus used as an evocative vocabulary, than a ‘language’ in the strict sense. It is used within the framework of Gypsy-English conversation, English sentences, with Gypsy specific English grammar and pronunciation, thus: The mush was jalling down the drom with his gry. means 'The man was walking down the road with his horse.'

Edinburgh slang also contains a large number of Romani-derived words. A few words, like pal (originally ‘brother’), chav (originally 'Romanichal boy', cognate with Chavo in Romani proper), lollipop (originally 'candy apple') have entered common English usage.