țigan

See also: tigan

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from a South Slavic (a)ciganinŭ (cf. Church Slavonic циганинъ (ciganinŭ)), from early modern Greek τσιγγάνος (tsingános) or ατσίγγανος (atsínganos), variant of Byzantine Greek ἀθίγγανος (athínganos, “untouchable”)^[1]^[2]^[3](a compound of privative ἀ- (a-) + θιγγάνω (thingánō, “to touch”)), used also as the name of a Christian sect.^[4] Compare Russian цыган (cygan), Hungarian cigány and German Zigeuner, which are from the same Greek source (as well as Italian zingaro, French tzigane, ultimately).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /t͡siˈɡan/
Audio: (file)

Noun

țigan m (plural țigani, feminine equivalent țigancă)

(now sometimes offensive) Gypsy

Usage notes

The term țigani, an imprecise exonym for several groups, is loaded with negative connotations: historically, it implied the status of a slave ( Chattel Slavery in Romania); today, the Dictionary of Romanian Language defines a fi țigan (literally “to be Gypsy”) as "to be a dark-skinned person" or "to be a person with bad habits".^[5]^[6] Careful speakers therefore refer to the Roma people by their self-designation, romi, or (to prevent confusion with the word român (“Romanian”)) its alternative spelling rromi. However, many Roma people in Romania use the term țigan when referring to themselves.

Declension

	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
	singular		plural
nominative-accusative	țigan	țiganul	țigani	țiganii
genitive-dative	țigan	țiganului	țigani	țiganilor
vocative	țiganule		țiganilor

Adjective

țigan m or n (feminine singular țigană, masculine plural țigani, feminine and neuter plural țigane)

(sometimes offensive, ethnonym) Gypsy

Declension

		masculine	feminine	masculine	neuter
		singular		plural
nominative- accusative	indefinite	țigan	țigană	țigani	țigane
nominative- accusative	definite	țiganul	țigana	țiganii	țiganele
genitive- dative	indefinite	țigan	țigane	țigani	țigane
genitive- dative	definite	țiganului	țiganei	țiganelor	țiganilor

Derived terms

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
^ 2010, Gabriela Brozba, Between reality and myth: A corpus-based analysis of the stereotypic image of some Romanian ethnic minorities, page 42
^ 2010, Gabriela Brozba, Between reality and myth: A corpus-based analysis of the stereotypic image of some Romanian ethnic minorities, page 42
^ 2007, Jean-Pierre Liégeois, Roma In Europe, page 159: In Romanian, the term țigan signifies a lazy good-for-nothing, and the plural țigani evokes not a culturally defined group but rather a disadvantaged, poverty-stricken community on the margins of society, with a status close to that of slaves […]

[1] 2004, Viorel Achim, The Roma in Romanian History (Bucharest), page 9

[2] 2007, Jean-Pierre Liégeois, Roma In Europe, page 17

[3] 1993, Struggling for Ethnic Identity: The Gypsies of Hungary (published by Human Rights Watch), page 1

[4] 2010, Gabriela Brozba, Between reality and myth: A corpus-based analysis of the stereotypic image of some Romanian ethnic minorities, page 42

[5] 2010, Gabriela Brozba, Between reality and myth: A corpus-based analysis of the stereotypic image of some Romanian ethnic minorities, page 42

[6] 2007, Jean-Pierre Liégeois, Roma In Europe, page 159: In Romanian, the term țigan signifies a lazy good-for-nothing, and the plural țigani evokes not a culturally defined group but rather a disadvantaged, poverty-stricken community on the margins of society, with a status close to that of slaves […]

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