The Romani people ( or ), also known as the Roma, Romani or Romany (sg.: Rom), are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group who traditionally lived a nomadic, itinerant lifestyle. Although they are widely dispersed, their most concentrated populations are believed to be in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Serbia, and Slovakia.
Romani culture has been influenced by their time spent under various empires in Europe, notably the Byzantine and Ottoman empires. The Romani language is an Indo-Aryan language with strong Persian, Armenian, Byzantine Greek and South Slavic influence. It is divided into several dialects, which together are estimated to have over 2 million speakers. Many Roma are native speakers of the dominant language in their country of residence, or else of mixed languages that combine the dominant language with a dialect of Romani in varieties sometimes called para-Romani.
In the English language, Romani people have long been known by the exonym Gypsies or Gipsies and this remains the most common English term for the group. Some Roma use and embrace this term while others consider it to be derogatory or an ethnic slur.
Linguistic and genetic evidence shows that the Romani people can trace their origins to South Asia, likely in the regions of present-day Punjab, Rajasthan and Sindh. Their westward migration occurred in waves, with the first wave believed to have taken place sometime between the 5th and 11th centuries. They are believed to have first arrived in Europe sometime between the 7th and 14th centuries.
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