124 GYPSIES. 



in those countries, Greek made some impression on their 

 language. I have already cited Tcrokers from Greek 

 TivpiaHTf and huMer from onrc^. Drom is their common 

 word for a road and it comes directly from Gk. 6p6}j.oi. 

 Palal is Romany for behind. It is the Greek Tcaktv. 

 The Romany articles o and e are borrowed from Greek 

 o and 77. 



Of Slavic elements there are some. The Romany Icralis 

 (king) is Polish Jcrol. 



In talking with the Hungarian Gypsies I mentioned 

 the American Romany mdchJca for cat. "No," they 

 said, ^^mdcJiTca means cat but it is a Hungarian word, 

 "not Roma. The Roma lav (Gypsy word) for cat is 

 dandolo.''^ If this be true it is a case of a true Magyar 

 word preserved in American Gypsy. The word dandolo 

 for cat, I never heard before. 



Besides the English inflexional endings and the good 

 English words with which most American Gypsies eke 

 out their Romany, they sometimes add the Gypsy end- 

 ing us to English nouns ; thus they say weeTcus for week. 

 Many things for which the Romanies had no names have 

 been given figurative names made up of real Romany 

 words. Thus a turkey is Tcdli rani (literally, black lady), 

 a church TnidwGels leer (the Lord's house), a lawyer, 

 jinemester-musTi (knowing man), a plow, puvse tiardo 

 (field wagon). A Ttori means a match. Potatoes are 

 called puvengri and turnips (also radishes) puvaJcro^ both 

 words meaning literally "field things." Kwoer means 

 thing, and is often added to form a noun. Thus, tdrten- 

 Tcuxier (smoking thing), a segar. 



Of course this language, corrupted as it now is, always 

 the secret dialect of ignorant bands of outcastes, is prac- 

 tically without literature. A few orally transmitted 

 legends, spells, and folk rhymes are all that can be col- 

 lected. Of magic spells and rhymes the east European 

 Gypsies have a great number. The following, which I 



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