Is "gypsy" a PC-approved term?

You might want to use "colorfully-clothed person of travel".

PC

The worst possible thing any writer can do is to use PC terms. Use the term the fiction demands, and let people gripe all they wish.

Calling them thieving b@st@rd gyppos might offend, though.

Apparently, "gypsy" is what other people have called them, because they were thought to have come from Egypt. (egypcien -> gypcian -> gypsy)

Romany is what they call themselves. And yeah, the word does not have positive connotations for the people it's supposed to describe.

Rather like the word "Squaw" to refer to a native American woman.

HConn said:

Apparently, "gypsy" is what other people have called them, because they were thought to have come from Egypt. (egypcien -> gypcian -> gypsy)

Romany is what they call themselves. And yeah, the word does not have positive connotations for the people it's supposed to describe.

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Wrong! The Gypsy council in Britain is more than happy with the word - they refer to themselves as gypsies. All Romanies are gypsies, but not all gypsies are Romanies.

They also acknowledge the term Traveller, but disassociate themselves from New Age Travellers.

Pikey, however, is derogatory.

From the actual Rom I've spoke to--Gypsy is an acceptable "american" term. Rom, or Roma is more of an official term. I've done a lot of reserch on this topic of the last few years due to the fact that my main characters have a heavy Rom background and based on Rom legend.

Unfortunatly(for an outsider), they are a very secretitive group of people and it is hard to find info on them!

Here's a few links:

http://www.miniclan.org/pathrell/romany.html

http://www2.arnes.si/~eusmith/Romany/index.html

These people have been really helpful and patient with my questions. They are Rom shavuni's(wicca's) so the group is based on the magical aspects of the gypsy world. I was totally open with them about my intentions--they know me as Willow or Kaly the writer(or Twilight Angel--the name I post under). As long as your polite and respectful, I'm sure they'll be happy to answer any questions you have. It does require a MSN passport ID.

http://groups.msn.com/gypsiewitchcraft/

If you need any other help, feel free to messege or email me. I've been researching for about three--four years now--mostly on the magic side of their heritage, but I've learned some about customs and language and such.

Take care
Cindy

I don't think gypsy will offend too many people - especially in a novel setting. I wouldn't worry about it. (If indeed they are gypsies - and the entries in your story would back that up) Oh no....Now I will have "gypsies, tramps and thieves" stuck in my mind.

If your character would say it, use that word.

I thought the word used in self-description was now 'travellers' rather than 'gypsies'.

Where do nomads fall in?

Shadow_Ferret said:

Where do nomads fall in?

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A "Romani Nomad" would classify as a gypsy, otherwise a nomad would just be a wanderer--according to the definitions I found using Wordweb (wordweb.info)

Nomad:
A member of a people who have no permanent home but move about according to the seasons

Gypsy:
A laborer who moves from place to place as demanded by employment

Romani/Gypsy

A member of a people with dark skin and hair who speak Romany and who traditionally live by seasonal work and fortunetelling; they are believed to have originated in northern India but now are living on all continents (but mostly in Europe, North Africa, and North America)

Romani(adjective)
Of or relating to the Gypsies language or culture. "Romani Nomads"

Hope that helps

Cindy B

veinglory said:

I thought the word used in self-description was now 'travellers' rather than 'gypsies'.

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My understanding of the term traveller is that it mainly refers to the Irish itinerants previously called tinkers (called knackers in Ireland). These people are quite different from the gypsy/romany people.

Being a guitarist for many years, I had also heard Manouche referenced during my studies of Django Reinhardt.

Let's visit one of their oneline communities:



http://www.gypsyjournal.com/ForumReply.asp?ForumID=1&TopicID=1228






Mike

scarletpeaches said:

If your character would say it, use that word.

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That's the point. What does the word mean to different people?

moblues said:

Being a guitarist for many years, I had also heard Manouche referenced during my studies of Django Reinhardt.

Let's visit one of their oneline communities:



http://www.gypsyjournal.com/ForumReply.asp?ForumID=1&TopicID=1228






Mike

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Thanks for the cool link Mike!

Cindy B.

HConn said:

Apparently, "gypsy" is what other people have called them, because they were thought to have come from Egypt. (egypcien -> gypcian -> gypsy)

Romany is what they call themselves. And yeah, the word does not have positive connotations for the people it's supposed to describe.

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I saw a tv show somewhere that did some DNA testing to determine their true origins. And they are probably Indian, dot not feather. I can't recall all the details, but there is probably a good story or three in it.

Actually they way I feel about PC I would probably prefer to use the most offensive term. But that is just me. I don't like being told what to think or say by my "betters".

I love how the term "PC" became a derogatory term for not insulting people.

My father, a construction worker, taught me to be PC, but since the term hadn't been invented then, he called it "having manners," and it was usually accompanied by a dummy slap.

But hey, you go ahead and be as offensive as you can, you crazy rebel.

The Rom as the True People call themselves speak a language that is a descendent of an early language related very very closely to Sanskrit. Just how long ago the peoples and the langauge split is a matter of enormous controversy.

But culturally the various kinship lables and hygene and food taboos are very very close to those by various tribal groups in India several thousand years ago.

HConn said:

I love how the term "PC" became a derogatory term for not insulting people.

My father, a construction worker, taught me to be PC, but since the term hadn't been invented then, he called it "having manners," and it was usually accompanied by a dummy slap.

But hey, you go ahead and be as offensive as you can, you crazy rebel.

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I'm sorry, but having manners is one thing. Being PC means you're offended by the slightest little thing that wasn't meant to be offensive. It means seeing insults, prejudice, and derogotary comments where there are none.

Good manners are nice and something we should all strive for. PC is extremism and does no one any good.

Sorry. *steps down off his soap box*

What a group of people call themselves is very often not what they'd like other people to call them. And what they think of as a polite thing to call them isn't neccessarily what the general public thinks is a polite thing to call them. In this context, I'd assume asking for the PC term would be asking for the third, while 'good manners' is the second, and historical correctness the first.

All of this is also time and place dependent, of course - it wasn't very long ago that that 'negro' was a PC term in America. (But now, 'African American' anywhere other than the states is just amusing).