 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| ≈ 110,000[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Athens andThessaloniki | |
| Languages | |
| Romani,Greek,Romano-Greek,Balkan Romani | |
| Religion | |
| Greek Orthodox,Sunni Islam,Romani mythology |
TheRomani people in Greece, orRomá (Greek: Ρομάνι/Ρομά), are calledTsinganoi (Greek: Τσιγγάνοι),Athinganoi (Αθίγγανοι), or the more derogatory termGyftoi (Greek: Γύφτοι). On 8 April 2019, the Greek government stated that the number ofRomani citizens in Greece is around 110,000.[1] Other estimates have placed the number of Romani people resident in Greece as high as 350,000.[2]
The ancestors of the Romani people originated in South Asia, likely from the regions of present-dayPunjab,Rajasthan andSindh.[3][4][5][6][7][8] Linguistic evidence has shown that roots of Romani language lie in what is now India: the language has grammatical characteristics of Indo-Aryan languages and shares with them a big part of the basic lexicon, for example, body parts or daily routines.[9] The language has been significantly influenced by contact with other languages, particularlyPersian,Armenian,Byzantine Greek.[10] It's grammar and phonology also reflectSouth Slavic influence.[11]
A number of words in the Romani language originating from earlyArmenian indicate that Romanies were inArmenia prior to linguistic changes of the 9th century.[12] From Armenia, they migrated through Anatolia, before arriving in the Balkans—Europe proper—during theByzantine period.[13] They are believed to have been present inConstantinople by the 9th century, possibly as early as the 7th century.[14][15] The shift in the self-identification of the Romani people from "Doma" to "Roma"/"Romani" is believed to have taken place during the Romanies' arrival and settlement in the Balkans during the Byzantine era. "Roma"/"Romani" is believed to have been influenced by theMedieval Greek wordRomaios, meaningEastern Roman—inhabitants of the Byzantine Empire.[16][17]
The name Gypsy (Gyftos = Γύφτος) sometimes used for the Romani people was first given to them by theGreeks, who supposed them to be Egyptian in origin.[18] Due to theirnomadic nature, they are not concentrated in a specific geographical area, but are dispersed all over the country. The majority of the Romanies in Greece yet areHellenized andOrthodox Christians who speak theRomani language in addition toGreek,[19] or theRomano-Greek language, like the Finikas Romika.[20] There are several other dialects spoken by the Roma In Greece, as the Agios Athanasios-Balkan Romani,[21] the Parakalamos-Romacilikanes,[22] or theVolos Sevlengere Roma.[23] MostlyMuslim Roma who live inWestern Thrace speak Turkish and theRumelian Romani dialect.[24] Sedentary Romanies from theSerres region believe their Ancestors were once taken from Egypt by the Ottomans in 1517 to work of the Land of Turkish Feudallords in Rumelia.[25] Also inEvliya Çelebi's Seyahatname of 1668, he mentioned that, at the time, the Roma fromKomotini (Gümülcine) swore their Ancestors came from Egypt.[26]Banyan merchants came once viaIndo-Roman trade relations and settled there for a while inRoman Egypt, so their Ancestors may beDoms in Egypt.[27][28][29]
During thePopulation exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923, different MuslimTurkish Roma groups from Greece, like the Tütünčides (Tobacco traders/workers)[30] or the Sepetčides (Basketmakers)[31] moved to Turkey, and were calledMübadil Romanlar.[32]
The Roma in Greece live scattered on the whole territory of the country, mainly in the suburbs. Notable centres of Romani life in Athens areAgia Varvara which has a very successful Romani community andAno Liosia where conditions are poorer. Roma largely maintain their own customs and traditions. Although a large number of Roma has adopted a sedentary and urban way of living, there are still settlements in some areas. The nomads at the settlements often differentiate themselves from the rest of the population. They number 200,000 according to the Greek government. According to the National Commission for Human Rights that number is closer to 250,000 and according to the Greek Helsinki Watch group to 300,000.[19]
As a result of neglect by the state, among other factors, the Romani communities in Greece face several problems including high rates of child labour and abuse, low school attendance, police discrimination and drug trafficking. The most serious issue is the housing problem since many Roma inGreece still live in tents, on properties they do not own, making them subject to eviction. In the past decade these issues have received wider attention and some state funding.[19]
On two occasions, the European Committee of Social Rights found Greece in violation of theEuropean Social Charter by its policy towards Roma in the field of housing.[33][34] Furthermore, between 1998-2002, 502 Albanian Roma children disappeared from the Greek Foundation for children Agia Varvara.[35] These cases were not investigated by the Greek authorities until the European Union forced an investigation, which only led to the recovery of 4 children. The children who were sold were presumably sold to human traffickers for sexual slavery or organ harvesting, according to a report submitted by the Greek government to the European Commission.[36][37]
The majority of the Romanies in Greece areOrthodox Christian like the groups Medvedara (Bear-leader), Katsiveli, Fitsiria, Mandopolini etc., while a small part of them, theErli/Erlides (Greek: Ερλίδες), and Tourkogyftos areMuslim Roma concentrated inWestern Thrace.[38]
Our results show that Northwest India could play an important role in the South Asian ancestry of Roma, however, the origin of Romani people might include the area of Pakistan as well.
Based on genome-wide SNP arrays and whole-genome sequences, it has been determined that the Romani people carry approximately 20–35% South Asian ancestry [4,7], and North-West India constitutes the major source of this component [4,7,54] [...] In general, Romani people carry approximately 65–80% West Eurasian (European, Middle Eastern and Caucasian) ancestry, estimated to have been acquired by extensive gene flow.
This population [...] migrated from northern India to Europe over 1,500 years ago [...] The Romani community are genetically diverse, and Romani groups established in different locations are highly varied.
What is the current state of the language? It is used less and less today in Romani communities. The young generation in some localities, such as Humenné, Michalovce, or Trebišov in eastern Slovakia, no longer speak the language at all.
'While a nine century removal from India has diluted Indian biological connection to the extent that for some Romani groups, it may be hardly representative today, Sarren (1976:72) concluded that we still remain together, genetically, Asian rather than European'
The idea that Roma had Indian roots, but crystallised into a cohesive people during the Byzantine period is now gaining credence. The self-ascribed name 'Rom/Roma' is from the Greek-speaking, Christian, Byzantine Empire and was acquired during the population's long stay in Anatolia.
| Hellenic | |
|---|---|
| Traditional | |
| Recent | |
