Chapter IX · (continued 2)

SCOTTISH GIPSY. JOHN LOBBS’ HINDOSTANEE. ENGLISH.

Baurie, great, grand, rich. Bura, Grand, good, great, rich.

Been, great, grand, rich. Beenie, Grand, good, great, rich.

Callo, Kala, Black.

Lon, Loon, Salt.

Gourie, a man. Gowra, White man.

Gaugie, a man. Gaugie, or Fraugie, Rich man.

Mort, a wife. Murgia, Dead wife.

Chavo, Chokna, A boy, a son.

Praw, Praw, Son.

Prawl, Prawl, Daughter.

Nais-gaugie, grandfather. Nais gaugie, Old man.

Nais-mort, grandmother. Nais mort, Old woman.

Riah, Riah, A chief, a gentleman.

Rajah, a chief, governor, Rajah, A chief, a lord.

Raunie, lady, wife of a gentleman. Raunie, The wife of a prince.

Been riah, Beenie riah, The king.

Been raunie, Beenie raunie, The queen.

Been gourie, Beenie gourie, A gentleman.

Bauree rajah, Bura rajah, The king.

Baurie raunie, Bura raunie, The queen.

Baurie forest, Bura frost, bura malook, Great town.

Baurie paunie, Bura paunie, The sea, the great water.

Lon paunie, Loon paunie, Salt water, the ocean.

Grye, Ghora, Horse.

Prancie, a horse. Prawncie, A gentleman’s carriage.

Gournie, Goroo, A cow.

Backra, Buckra, A sheep.

Sherro, Sir, Head.

Yak, Aukh, Eye.

Yaka, Aukha, Eyes.

Nak, Nak, Nose.

Mooie, Mooih, Mouth.

Chee, Jeebh, The tongue.

Chee chee, Choopra, Hold your tongue.

Femmel, hand. Fingal, Ends of the fingers.

Vast, Wast, The hand.

Peerie, Peir, The foot.

Gave, Gaw, Village.

Kair, Gur, A house.

Wautheriz, Waudrie, A bed.

Outhrie, a window. Outrie, Durvaja, A door.

Eegees, bed clothes. Eegees, Bed curtains.

Shuch-hamie, Shuamie, A waistcoat.

Jair-dah, Jairda, Woman’s apron.

Gawd, Dowglaw, A man’s shirt.

Teeyakas, Teeyaka, Shoes.

Scaf, a hat. Scaf, a small piece of cloth tied around the head, like a fillet.

Skews, Skows, Platters, jugs.

Chowrie, Choree, Knife.

Harro, Dhoro, Sword.

Sauster, iron. Sauspoon, Iron pot-lid, iron.

Mass, Mass, Flesh.

Thood, Doodh, Milk.

Chizcazin, cheese. Chizcaizim, Cheese-knife.

Blaw, meal. Blaw, Indian corn.

Flatrin, Flatrin, Fish of any kind.

Shaucha, broth Shoorwa, Soup.

Molzie, Mool, Wine.

Romanie, whiskey. Rominie, Spirits, liquor.

Mumlie, a candle. Membootie, Candles.

Fluffan, Floofan, Smoking tobacco.

Yak, Ag, Fire.

Paunie, Paunie, Water.

Casties, Cashtes, Fruit trees.

Bar, Dunbar, A stone.

Sonnakie, Sona, Gold.

Roug, Roopa, Silver.

Chinda, silver. Chindee, Silver, tin.

Geeve, Guing, Wheat.

Mang, Chan, Jung, The moon.

Bumie, Boomie, To drink.

Mar, Marna, To strike.

Rauge, Rawd, Mad.

Choar, Chorna, To steal.

Chor, Chor, Thief.

Humff, Huff, Give me.

Moolie, death, to die, dead. Moola, Dead.

Quad, Quid, Prison.

Staurdie, prison. Staurdee, A prison, to confine, hold.

Jaw vree, Jowa, Go away.

Auvie, Aow, Coming, come here.

Davies, Din, Day.

Rat, Raut, Night.

Pagrin, Pawgrin, To break.

Davies-pagrin, Dawis-pawgrin, Day-break, the morning.

Klistie, a soldier. Kleestie, Black soldier, Sepoy.

Nash, deserter. Natch, To run away.

Loudnie, Loonie, A bad woman.[219]

My informant understood, he said, two of the dialects of Hindostan, the one called the Hindoo, and the other the Moors’ language. The former, he said, the English in India generally spoke, but understood little of the latter; and that he himself did not know a word of the language of the Brahmins. When he failed to produce, in the Moors’ language, the word corresponding to the Gipsy one, he frequently found it in what he called the Hindoo speech. The greater part of the Gipsy words, as I have already mentioned, were familiar to his ear; but many of them that signified one thing in his speech, meant quite another in Gipsy. For example, the word Graunagie, in Gipsy, signifies a barn; with Lobbs, it meant an old rich man. Coories, bed clothes or blankets, signified, in Lobbs’ dialect, ornaments for the ears. Dill, a servant maid, according to Lobbs, was a church. Shan davies, a bad day, was the Hindostanee for holiday. Managie, a woman, signifies the name of a person, such as John or James. Chavo, a son, meant a female child; and Pooklie, hulled barley, anything fine. The two Gipsy words Callo and Rat are black and night; but, according to Lobbs, Callorat is simply anything dark.[220]

To confirm my collection of Scottish Gipsy words, I will collate some of those which I sent to Sir Walter Scott, for examination but not for publication, with those to be found in Mr. Baird’s report, a publication which I first saw in 1842.

SCOTTISH GIPSY. YETHOLM GIPSY. ENGLISH.

Gaugie, Gadgé, Man.

Managie, Manishee, Woman.

Mort, Wife.

Chavo, (chauvies, children,) Shavies, children, Son.

Praw, Gouré a boy, Son.

Prawl, Racklé, a girl, Daughter.

Riah, Rai, a gentleman, A chief.

Rajah, Governor.

Baurie, Baré, Good.

Sherro, Shero, Head.

Yak, Yack, Eye.

Yaka, Eyes.

Nak, Nak, Nose.

Mooie, Moi, Mouth.

Vast, Vastie, Hand.

Grye, Grāī, Horse.

Bashanie, Basné, Cock.

Caunie, Kanné, Hen.

Drom, Drone, Road.

Gave, Gaave, Village.

Graunagie, Barn.

Graunzie, Gransé, Barn.

Kair, Keir, House.

Outhrie, Window.

Yag, Yag, Fire.

Thood, Thud, Milk.

Mass, Mass, Flesh.

Peerie, (or blawkie,) Blakie, Pot.

Paunie, Pawné, Water.

Paurie, Water.

Molzie, Mul, Wine.

Roy, Roy, Spoon.

Nab, Horn.

Chorie, Knife.

Chowrie, Chouré, Knife.

Shuha, Shohé, Coat.

Scaf, (or gogle,) Gogel, Hat.

Harro, Sword.

Beerie, Ship.

Bumie, Peevan, drinking, To drink.

Choar, To steal.

Chor, Tschor, Thief.

Staurdie, Stardé, a jail, Prison.

Moolie, Moulian, dying, Death.

Moolie, Moulé, to kill, I’ll kill you.

Bing, Bing, The devil.

The following Scottish Gipsy words appear to have some relation to the Sanscrit:

SCOTTISH GIPSY. SANSCRIT. ENGLISH.

Yag, Agnish, Fire.

Paurie, Varni, Water.

Casties, Cashth, Wood.

Duff, Dhupah, Smoke.

Sneepa, Sweta, White.

Callo, Cala, Black.

Sherro, Sira, The head.

Rajah, Rajah, Lord.

Vast, Hastah, The hand.

Praw, Putra, Son.

Gave, or Gan, Gramam, A village.

Mar, Mar, To strike.

Loudnie, Lodha, loved, A whore.

In order to show the relationship of the language of the Gipsies in Scotland, England, Germany, Hungary, Spain, and Turkey, and the affinity between it and the Persian, Hindostanee, Sanscrit, Pali, and Kawi, I append a table containing the first ten numerals in all these tongues:

TABLE OF THE FIRST TEN NUMERALS IN VARIOUS GIPSY DIALECTS, COMPARED WITH THOSE IN OTHER ORIENTAL LANGUAGES.

English. Scottish Gipsy. English Gipsy. German Gipsy. Hunga- rian Gipsy. Hunga- rian Gipsy. Turkish Gipsy. Spanish Gipsy. Persian. Vulgar Hin- dostanee. Sanscrit. Sanscrit. Pali. Kawi.

W. S. Hoyland. Grell- mann. Bright. Borrow. Hoyl’d. Borrow. Borrow. John Lobbs. Polock. Borrow. Polock. Polock.

One Yaik Aick Ick, Ek Jeg Jek Yeck Yeque Ek Yek Eka Ega Ekka Eka

Two Duie Dooce Duj, Doj Dui Dui Duy Dui Du Doh Dui Dvaya Di Dui

Three Trin Trin Trin, Tri Tri Trin Trin Trin Se Tin Tri Treya Tri Tri

Four Tor { Shtar, Staur Schtar, Star Stah Schtar Shtiar Estar Chehar Char Chater Tschatvar Chatwa Chator

Five Punch, Fo Panji { Pantsch, Pansch Paunch Pansch Panch Pansche Pansch Paunsh Pancha Pantscha Pancha Pancha

Six Shaigh Shove { Tschowe, Schow, Sof Schof Tschov Shove Job, Zoi Schesche Shaiah Shat Schasda Cho Sat

Seven Naivairn [221] Heftan Efta Epta Efta Efta Hefta Heft Saut Sapta Sapta Sap Sapta

Eight { Naigh, Luften . . . Ochto Opto Ochto Okto Otor Hescht Aut Ashta Aschta At-tha Asta

Nine Line Henya Enja, Eija Ennia Enija Enia Esnia Nu Nong Nava Nava Nowa Nawa

Ten Nay Desh Desch, Des Desh Dōsch Desh Deque De Dest Dasa Dascha Thotsa Dasa

That the Gipsy language, in Scotland, is intermixed with cant, or slang, and other words, is certain, as will appear by the specimens I have exhibited.[222] I am inclined to believe, however, that were the cant and slang used by our flash men and others carefully examined, much of it would turn out to be corrupted Hindostanee, picked up from the Gipsies. I have, after considerable trouble, produced, and, I may venture to say, faithfully recorded, the raw materials as I found them: to separate the other words from the original and genuine Gipsy, is a task I leave to the learned philologist. I shall only observe, that the way in which the Gipsy language has been corrupted is this: That whenever the Gipsies find words not understood by the people among whom they travel, they commit such to memory, and use them in their conversation, for the purpose of concealment. In the Lowlands of Scotland, for example, they make use of Gaelic,[223] Welsh, Irish, and French words. These picked-up words and terms have, in the end, become part of their own peculiar tongue; yet some of the Gipsies are able to point out a number of these foreign words, as distinguished from their own. In this manner do the Gipsies carry along with them part of the language of every country through which they pass.[224]

In concluding my account of the Scottish Gipsy language, I may observe, that I think few who have perused my details will hesitate for a moment in pronouncing that the people have migrated from Hindostan. Many convincing proofs of the origin of the race have been adduced by Grellmann, Hoyland, and Bright; and I think that my researches, made in Scotland alone, have confirmed the statements of these respectable authors.

The question which now remains to be solved is this: From what tribe or nation at present in, or originally from, Hindostan are the Gipsies descended? That they have been a robber or predatory nation, from principle as well as practice, I am convinced little doubt can be entertained. Even yet, the greater the art and address displayed in committing a dexterous theft or robbery, the higher is the merit of such an action esteemed among their fraternity. I am also convinced that this general, or national, propensity to plunder has been the chief cause of the Gipsies concealing their origin, language, customs, and religious observances, at the time they entered the territories of civilized nations, and up to this time. The intelligent old Gipsy, whose acquaintance I made at St. Boswell’s, distinctly told me, that his tribe were originally a nation of thieves and robbers; and it is quite natural to suppose that, when they found theft and robbery punished with such severity, in civilized society, everything relating to them would be kept a profound secret.

The tribe in India whose customs, manners, and habits have the greatest resemblance to those of the Gipsies, are the Nuts, or Bazegurs; an account of which is to be found in the 7th volume of the Asiatic Researches, page 451. In Blackwood’s Magazine we find the following paragraph relative to these Nuts, or Bazegurs, which induces a belief that these people are a branch of the Gipsy nation, and a tribe of the highest antiquity. They are even supposed to be the wild, aboriginal inhabitants of India.

“A lady of rank, who has resided some time in India, lately informed me that the Gipsies are to be found there, in the same way as in England, and practise the same arts of posture-making and tumbling, fortune-telling, stealing, and so forth. The Indian Gipsies are called Nuts, or Bazegurs, and they are believed by many to be the remains of an aboriginal race, prior even to the Hindoos, and who have never adopted the worship of Bramah. They are entirely different from the Parias, who are Hindoos that have lost caste, and so become degraded.”

The Nuts, or Bazegurs, under the name of Decoits or Dukyts, are, it seems, guilty of frequently sacrificing victims to the goddess Calie, under circumstances of horror and atrocity scarcely credible. Now the old Gipsy, who gave me the particulars relative to the Gipsy sacrifice of the horse, stated that sometimes both woman and horse were sacrificed, when the woman, by the action of the horse, was found to have greatly offended.

In the ordinances of Menu, the Nuts, or Bazegurs, are called Nata. Now, our Scottish Gipsies, at this moment, call themselves Nawkens, a word not very dissimilar in sound to Nata. When I have spoken to them, in their own words, I have been asked, “Are you a nawken?” a word to which they attach the meaning of a wanderer, or traveller—one who can do any sort of work for himself that may be required in the world.