tzigane
English
Etymology
From the Hungarian cigány via French tzigane, from Byzantine Greek τσιγγάνος (tsingános, “Gypsy”).[1][2][3] Cognate to Italian zigano and zingaro, Spanish cíngaro, German Zigeuner, Dutch zigeuner, Portuguese cigano, Romanian țigan, Polish Cygan, Czech Cikán, Russian цыган (cygan), Turkish Çingene.
The other major categories of words for the Roma are cognates of Rom (words related to the Romani people's autonyms) and cognates of Gypsy (words related to Egypt); see those entries for more information.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /tsɪˈɡɑːn/
- Rhymes: -ɑːn
Usage notes
Like Gypsy, this term may be considered offensive by Romani people. At the same time, it may not be understood or meant as offensive by non-Romani people.[4] See the usage notes at Gypsy and zigeuner.
References
- 2004, Viorel Achim, The Roma in Romanian History (Bucharest), page 9
- 2007, Jean-Pierre Liégeois, Roma In Europe, page 17
- 1993, Struggling for Ethnic Identity: The Gypsies of Hungary (published by Human Rights Watch), page 1
- see the notes on terminology in Edward Proctor's Gypsy dialects: a selective annotated bibliography of materials for the practical study of Romani (2008)
French
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /tsi.ɡan/
(file)
Usage notes
This term may be considered offensive by Romani people. At the same time, it may not be understood or meant as offensive by non-Romani people.[1]
References
- see the notes of terminology in Edward Proctor's Gypsy dialects: a selective annotated bibliography of materials for the practical study of Romani (2008)
Further reading
- “tzigane” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).