Romany

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Romany (Gypsy) Nomadic people and their language. Romanies are believed to have originated in n India, and now inhabit Europe, Asia, America, Africa, and Australia. They first appeared in Europe in the 15th century. Their nomadic lifestyle aroused prejudice, often resulting in persecution. Their folklore is part of popular tradition. The Romany language originated in n India, and like Hindi and Sanskrit to which it is related, it belongs to the Indo-Iranian branch of the family of Indo-European languages. Many Romanies today speak it as a second language, but there is little written Romany.

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