Celebrating Our Diverse Language Heritage
21 February 2017
Radost Zaharieva
ERRC Country facilitator, France
Rromanes: moro barvalipe, moro jivotosqo maribe
Roma, Gipsies, Manushes, Gitans/Gitanos, Kale, Sinte, sa manuśa kaj beśen and-e verver thema and-o sasto sundal, po-but thar 10 milionă sine and-e Evropa, thaj isi panda ki Amerika, Australia, Azia thaj kola. So unisardel savore kadale dźene andar verver thema, kontinentă, regionă, so isi len verver tradicie, aćara, jivoto?
I ćhib si o temeli e dostipesqo, so lokisarel e komunikacia e manuśengi and-e thema. I ćhib na si sade kava so del vast thaj vazdinel e manuśenge relacien, kava si i baza e manuśipesqi. I ćhib si sar jekh dikhavlin so sikavel o manuśengo nakhlimos, lenge kulturalo palmukhlipe, sikavel katar aven lenge aćara thaj tradicie.
I rromani ćhib dźal po-dur tar kadale socialo role thaj ovel o maj-vaźno faktori so unisardel sa e Romen save beśen verver thanende and-o sasto sundal birda te ovel verver diferencie maśkar lende. Ako o rromano ćhal/narodo si ulavdo grupende thaj isi len diferencie, amen o Rroma isi amen jekh ćhib kaj zorăvel amen sar ćhal/narodo. Oj si kava so vazdinel amen sar ćhal/narodo bi te ovel amen them, institucie thaj themesqe administracia. I rromani ćhib si kava so ristărel o isimos e Rromane ćhalesqo. Oj sikavel i rromani istoria, del informacia palal o baro drom e rromanego katar i India dźi ki Evropa thaj ko sasto sundal.
I rromani ćhib si meri ćhib, moro barvalipe thaj moro maribe. Ćaćes, kava si moro jivotosqo maribe te vazdel pes i rromani ćhib and-e politika, o sasto dostipe te halovel amare ćhibaqe vaźno rolă and-o avindipe e Rromengo thaj amare ćhibaqo than and-e sundalesqo palmukhlipe; te brakhas amari ćhib thaj te sikas laqo barvalipe e avere generacienge, te siklovas len te na ladźan te vakeren pumare dajaqe ćhib thaj te barikanen pumen laça.
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Rromanes: my wealth, my life’s battle
Roma, Gipsies, Manushes, Gitans/Gitanos, Kale, Sinte, all of them are people living in various countries all over the world; they are more than 10 milions in Europe and other live in Amerika, Australia, Asia etc. What unites so many communities living in different countries, continents, regions, having different customs, habits and lifestyles?
The language is the basis of the society, facilitating the contacts and communication between the people in various countries. The language is rather than a tool promoting the relationships between human beings, it is the basis of humanity. Also, the language is similar to a mirror where we can retrace the history of a population, its cultural heritage, explains the origin of its habits, mores and traditions.
Rromani language called Rromanes surpasses all these social vocations and becomes the main factor unifying many Romani communities living in various countries all over the world despite of their differences. If Roma people is divided into different groups and have some differences, we have a common language which straighten us as people/nation. The rromani language is the factors making possible Romani people to exist without having a state with institutions and administration. Rromanes is a guarantee for Roma to exist as people. The rromani language is a tool retracing the rromani history, provides precious information about the long and hard journey from India to Europe and the world.
Rromanes is my language, my wealth, but also my life’s battle. Yes, it is a battle to promote it in policies (on political level), to make the whole society understand its major role for the future of the Rromani communities and its place in the world cultural heritage; to preserve it and transmit it to the next generation, to teach them do not shy of speaking their mother tongue but to be proud of it.
Dzavit Berisa
Publications Officer
Gjuhen e kemi humbur por ne ende ekzistojmë. Ballkano-Egjiptianet janë një grup minoritarësh të cilët me shekuj kanë adaptuar gjuhen e vendit ku ata jetojnë. Kështu për shembull, ne Maqedoni ne qytetet e Ohrid, Strugës dhe Resnjes flasin gjuhen shqipe ne dialektin toske, ne Dibër ne dialektin gege. Ne Kërçovë, Prilep dhe një pjese e Bitolit (Manastirit) flasin gjuhen Maqedonishte, por një pjese tjetër e Manastirit si dhe ne qytete të shumta të Maqedonisë lindore flasin gjuhen turke. Në Serbi të gjitha e preferojnë gjuhen serbe, por në Kosove si gjuhë "amtare" është gjuha shqipe.
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We lost the language but we still exist. Balkan-Egyptians are a minority group who for centuries have adapted the language of the country where they live. For example, in Macedonia in the cities of Ohrid, Struga and Resen they speak Albanian in toska dialect, in Debar in gege dialect. In Kicevo, Prilep and part of Bitol (Monastery) they speak the Macedonian language, but another part of Bitola and in other towns like east Macedonia they speak the Turkish language. In Serbia all prefer Serbian language, but in Kosovo as "native" language they speak Albanian.
Jonathan Lee
Communications Officer
“Murro Romany chib si buhte differenciya i tu.”
Cavo si rokrepen shom i baro penav ande Romany chib.
Katre amande Cymru, e vitsya ande Baro Brittania. San si e vitsya bicunyie ande o lanordesko Europa, anglo, thai akana-komi (so sar Brexit). Si covar ajaw sar amaro chib, buhte chiros, Romany folki chi hacheren asarlas ando Europa.
Mande’s phuro-tad si amaro lavi-ken pale e chib, mes leste riginzi-engro si kek-kushdi. Avav atch e chib jivinde thai sikholav komi lave i Romany chib ando mande’s booty sar o Ken Romano Chachimaske Europo.
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“My Romani is very different to yours”.
This is the phrase I have to say the most in Romani.
I am from Wales, a country in Great Britain. It is a country isolated in the North of Europe, before, and more so now (what with Brexit). So it is with our language, most of the time, Roma in Europe don’t understand it at all.
My grandfather is our library for the language but his memory is not what it was. So I will keep the language alive and learn more Romani words through my job at the European Roma Rights Centre.
Benjamin Ignac
Communications Intern
Kând avem šapči ani, pârinci amei mu ânvâcat limba dâ Bâjaš, kari âj limba alu oamenji nostri la sjever âm Hrvatska. Limbasta samânâ la Rumunješči ali noj anj adoptat vorbi šâ dâm Ungurešči, Horvacešči šâ Romanes. Noj nu pratalenj pravilur dâm gramatikâ ili pravopis daje kâ limbasta âj mai mult improvizatâ šâ mai mult vurbitâ. Niš udatâ nam trebuit sâ čitalesk ili sâ skriu pâ Bâšešči, ali čak šâ dakâ aš gânđi noj nu avenj mulči kenvij kari âs skrisâ pâ Bâšešči ili Bâjaš kari ar fi sposobanj sâ lji skrie. Kum fuži vreme, aša šâ mai mulči vorbi da Horvat âs koristiliči ân loku lu vorbilje dâ Bâjaš. Limba anostrâ pânšet nestelešči ili sâ transformešči âm ševa alt. Bâšešči nari mari prestiž kum ari alčilje limbi dâ Rom daje kâ struktura dâ Bâšešči âj jednostavnâ šâ nari historijâ lungâ niš dâ vurbit niš dâ skris. Orkic oamenji zâši kâ Bâšešči niš nujâ pravâ limba. Bâšešči âj salatrâ dâm mulči vorbi dâm mulči limbi šâ kulturi.
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When I was seven years old my parents taught me Bajash, which is the language of my people in northern Croatia. It sounds very similar to Romanian but we have adopted some Hungarian, Croatian and Romanes words into it. We don’t follow any strict grammar or spelling rules because it is largely improvised and mostly just spoken. I never had to read or write in Bajash but even if I wanted to, we lack books written in Bajash or people who would be capable to write them. As time passes, we are replacing more and more original Bajash words with Croatian words. Our language is slowly disappearing or transforming into something else. Because of its simple structure and poor spoken and written history, Bajash has a low prestige when compared to other forms of Romani language. Some people don’t even consider it a real language. Bajash is a salad of different words from multiple languages and cultures.
Vivien Brassói
Legal Trainee
Katar muri dej sityilem Romanes te vorbi. O Romani shib thaj muri familija si mange sar te kashteske vuna ande phuv. O Romani vorba si kasavi shukar mange sar kanak luludya pheren avri pe tyo muj. O Romani shib thaj vorba zhutil man te zhanav khatar avilem. Chi kamav te bistrav mura daki shib. La slobodimaski shib si kadi mange.
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I have learned Romanes from my mother. For me the Romani language and my family are like the roots of a tree in the soil. Romanes for me is like when flowers spill out of your mouth. Romanes helps me know where I came from. I do not want to forget my mother's language. The language of freedom - that is what it is for me.
