Comparative view of the Gypsey, Hindostanie, and Turkish languages.

The following collection is extracted from Grellmann’s Vocabulary.

It has already been observed, that in the Gypsey, as well as in the Hindostanie language, the article is not placed before the noun, but affixed behind it; and that is the sole indication of the case of a noun.

Grellmann has given examples of the declension of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives, as well as the conjugation of verbs in both languages; but the grammatical arrangement of them does not come within the design of this work. The foregoing list of words is a selection of those that are most similar: but in Grellmann’s extensive vocabulary, he says, it will appear on the average, that every third Gypsey word, is likewise Hindostanie.

It must be observed, that the words above recited, have been learned from the Gypsies within a few years, consequently at a time when they had been nearly four complete centuries away from Hindostan, their native country; and among people who spoke languages totally different; in which also the Gypsies conversed.

Under the constant and so long continued influx of these languages, their own must necessarily have suffered some alteration; more especially as they are a people entirely ignorant, either of writing or literature.

It does not appear that there is so much Persian in the Gypsey language, as has been generally imagined; and even what there is of it, they may have brought with them from their native country, as many Persian words are current in Hindostan. We ought rather to wonder the number of Hindostanie words in the Gypsey language, is so considerable, than to require it should be greater, to furnish sufficient proof of the Hindostanie language being the Gypsies’ mother tongue.

Since the laborious researches of Grellmann, extended intercourse with India, has furnished unquestionable evidence in support of his deductions. The first we shall introduce, is contained in the following letter from William Marsden to Sir Joseph Banks, F.R.S. read to the Society of Antiquaries in London, 1785.

“It has long been surmised, that the vagrant tribes of people called in this country Gypsies, and on parts of the Continent of Europe, Cingari, Zingari, and Chingali, were of eastern origin. The former name has been supposed a corruption of Egyptian, and some learned men have judged it not improbable that their language might be traced to the Coptic.

“In the course of researches which I have had occasion to pursue on the subject of language, I have observed that Ludolfus, in his history of Ethiopia, makes mention incidentally of the Cingari, vel Errones Nubiani, and gives a specimen of words which he had collected from these people on his travels, with a view of determining their origin. He discusses the opinions of various writers concerning them; but forms no precise sentiment of his own, concluding his observations with these words: “Eadem vocabula, cum maximam partem reperiam apud Vulcanium À centum fere annis traditam, non fictitia existimo, ut Megiferus putat nec corrupta ex aliis linguis, neque Egyptiaca, sive Coptica.”—In English, thus: “Since I find according to Vulcanius, that most of these words have been continued traditionally for a period of nearly 100 years, I do not consider them fictitious, as Megiferus supposes, nor corrupted from other languages, either the Egyptian or Coptic.”

“I was surprised to find many of the words familiar to my eye; and I pointed out to Sir Joseph Banks, in the latter end of the year 1783, their evident correspondence with terms in the Hindostanie, or as it is vulgarly termed in India, the Moors’ language.

“This similitude appeared to me so extraordinary, that I was inclined to suspect an error in the publication, which might have arisen from a confusion of obscure vocabularies in the author’s possession. The circumstance, however, determined me to pay farther attention to the subject, and to examine, in the first place, whether the language spoken by the Gypsey tribes in England, and by those in the remoter parts of the continent of Europe was one, and the same; and then to ascertain, whether this actually bore the affinity which so forcibly struck me in Ludolfus, to any of the languages on the Continent of India.

“Through the obliging assistance of Sir Joseph Banks, who has spared no pains to promote this investigation, I procured an opportunity of obtaining a list of words from our Gypsies, which I can depend upon as genuine, and tolerably accurate in respect to the pronunciation, from their being corroborated also by words taken down, separately, by Sir Joseph, and by Dr. Blagden.

“Mr. Matra did me the favour to transmit for me, a list of words to Turkey; and from his ingenious friend B. Pisani, I received a complete and satisfactory translation of them, together with some information, respecting the manners of the Chingiares, in the Turkish dominions, which, however, does not come within the design of this paper, as I mean to confine myself in the present communication, simply to the question of similarity of language; which, if established, I should esteem a matter of no little curiosity; presuming it to be perfectly new to the world.

“Of this similarity, the learned members of the Society will be enabled to form their judgment from the annexed paper, exhibiting a comparison of a few of the words procured from the different quarters before mentioned, with the Hindostanie terms, from the best published, and parole authorities. It may not be unworthy of remark, that the general appellation of these people in the eastern part of Europe, is very nearly connected with that of the inhabitants of Ceylon, in the East-Indies, who are equally termed. Lingalese and Chingalese; though at the same time it must be acknowledged, that the language of this Island has much less correspondence with that of the Gypsies, than many others of the Indian dialects.

“His Grace, the Archbishop of York, with his usual discernment, suggested to me, the probability that the Zingara here spoken of, may have derived their name, and perhaps their origin from the people called Langari, or Langarians, who are found in the north-west parts of the Peninsula of Hindostan, and infest the coasts of Guzerat and Sindy with their piratical depredations.

“The maritime turn of this numerous race of people, with their roving and enterprising disposition, may warrant the idea of occasional emigration in their boats, by the coarse of the Red Sea.

“Notwithstanding the resemblance to the Hindostanie, is the predominant feature in the Gypsey dialect, yet there are words interspersed, which evidently coincide with other languages. Besides the Mahratta, and Bengalese, which I have marked in the comparative specimen, it is not a little singular that the terms for the numerals seven, eight, and nine, are purely Greek: although the first five, and that for ten, are indisputably Indian. It is also a curious observation, that although the Indian term for seven is saath, yet that for a week, or seven days; is the Eftan of the latter.

“One word only among those I have examined, bears a resemblance to the Coptic, which is rom, the same with romi, a man.

“In comparisons of this nature, a due allowance must be made, not only for the various modes of spelling adopted by different persons, and different nations, but also for the dissimilar manner in which the same individual sound, strikes the organs of the hearers; of which some pointed instances may be given.

“Should any be inclined to doubt, which I scarcely suppose possible, the identity of the Gypsey, or Cingari, and the Hindostanie languages, still it will be acknowledged as no uninteresting subject, that tribes wandering through the mountains of Nubia, or the plains of Romania, have conversed for centuries in a dialect precisely similar to that spoken at this day, by, the obscure, despised, and wretched people in England, whose language has been considered as a fabricated gibberish, and confounded with a cant in use among thieves and beggars; and whose persons have been, till within the period of a year, an object of the persecution, instead of the protection of our laws.”

William Marsden.

In the 386th page of the 7th Vol. of ArchÆologia, is the comparative view of the English Gypsey, Turkish Gypsey, and Hindostanie dialects; a specimen of which will be presented in this section.

In page 387 of the same volume, are collections on the Zingara, or Gypsey language, by Jacob Bryant, Esq. transmitted to G. Salusbury Brereton, Esq. in a letter from Doctor Douglas, read 1785: This learned traveller, when in Hungary, had taken from the mouths of Gypsies, specimens of their language, which occupy seven pages. It is remarkable, that of seventeen words obtained and enumerated in the letters of Coxe, the learned traveller, fourteen appear to resemble most exactly those of the same signification, collected by Jacob Bryant

John Douglas.

COMPARISON OF THE GYPSEY, TURKISH, AND HINDOSTANIE LANGUAGES.

Brand, in his observations on Popular Antiquities, Vol. II. page 432, observes: “The Gypsies, as it should seem from some striking proofs derived from their language, were originally from Hindostan, where they are supposed to have been of the lowest class of Indians, named Pariars, or as they are called in Hindostan, Suders. They are thought to have emigrated about A.D. 1408, or 1409, when Timur Beg ravaged India for the purpose of spreading the Mahometan religion. On this occasion so many were made slaves, and put to death, that a universal panic took place, and a very great number of terrified inhabitants endeavoured to save themselves by flight.

“As every part to the north and east was beset by the enemy, it is most probable that the country below Multan, to the mouth of the Indus, was the first asylum and rendezvous of the fugitive Suders. This is called the country of Zinganen. Here they were safe, and remained so till Timur’s return from the victory of the Ganges. Then it was that they entirely quitted the country, and probably with them a considerable number of the natives, which will explain the meaning of their original name.”

In the seventh Vol. of the Asiatic Researches, page 470, Captain David Richardson says of the Panchperee, or Budee’a Nuts: “’Tis probable there will be found in their manners, a stronger similitude to the Gypsies of Europe, than in those of any other which may come under review. They have no particular system of religion, adopting with indifference that of the village near to which they happen to be encamped. In the upper provinces of Hindostan, the little encampments of these people are frequently very regular and neat, being there formed of the Sirkee entirely. Each apartment, though not much larger than a mastiff’s kennel, has its own particular enclosure, or court-yard; generally erected in such a manner, as to become a species of circumvallation to the whole portable hamlet.

“One cannot help wondering where so many men, women, and children, and other domestic animals manage to sleep; or shelter themselves from the storms which sometimes assail these itinerant people. The men are remarkably athletic and active, and also nimble and adroit, in every kind of slight of hand. Many of the subdivisions of this class of men, pay little, or no attention to cleanliness, or any restrictions in diet; eating dead jackalls, bullocks, horses, or any kind of food procurable.

“The women do not attend the men during their juggling exploits, but have a peculiar department allotted to themselves; which consists of the practice of physic, cupping, palmistry, curing disorders of the teeth, and marking the skin of the Hindoo women, an operation termed Godna. They have two languages peculiar to themselves; one intended for the use only of the craftsman, the other general among men, women, and children.

“The Hindostanie is the basis of both; the first is general, being a mere transposition or change of syllables; and the second apparently, a systematic conversion of a few letters; but which will be best elucidated by the following specimen, which contains twenty-two words.”

After which, he says: “I find these people in Colebrook’s arrangement of the Hindoo Classes, mentioned in the sixth class, under the head of Nata, Bazeegurs; and in Sir William Jones’s translation of the Ordinances of Menu, Munoo, Chapter 10.

“I shall now subjoin a short parallel between the Gypsies of Europe, and the people I have described. Both the Gypsies and the Nuts are generally a wandering race of beings, seldom having a fixed habitation. They have each a language peculiar to themselves. That of the Gypsies is undoubtedly a species of Hindostanie; as well as that of the Nuts. In Europe, it answers all the purposes of concealment.

“The Gypsies have their King, the Nuts their Nardar Boutoh; they are equally formed into companies, and their peculiar employments are exactly similar; dancing, singing, music, palmistry, &c. They are both considered as thieves; at least that division of the Nuts, whose manners come nearest the Gypsies.—In matters of religion they appear equally indifferent, and as to food, we have seen that neither the Gypsies nor the Budee’a Nuts are very choice.

“Though, in the EncyclopÆdia Britannica, Grellmann’s Theory is thought slightly of, the similarity of language being deemed but inconclusive evidence; yet in this instance, and even in opposition to such authority, I will venture to consider it, as forming a basis of the most substantial kind. It is not the accidental coincidence of a few words, but the whole vocabulary he produces, differs not so much from the common Hindostanie, as provincial dialects of the same country do from each other.

“Grellmann, from a want of knowledge in the Hindostanie; as to its provincial dialects, lost many opportunities of producing the proper word in comparison with the Gypsey one.

“The following list of words was taken from the Annual Register of 1784, or 1785, with a few I have now subjoined from Grellmann.—In some of the instances where he has failed of producing the corresponding Hindostanie word, the supply of them will, I hope, prove the language of the Gypsies, and that of Hindostan to be the same, or very intimately connected with each other.

Captain Richardson continues the list through four pages.