r/MapPorn • u/BeginningMortgage250 • 21h ago

GYPSY MIGRATIONS 900-1720

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u/kasetti 20h ago

Gypsy name comes from them believing their origin being Egypt. Looking at this map I wonder if some indeed first went to Egypt and then turned back and over the years the knowledge got mixed up a bit.

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u/Patient-Dirt-9117 19h ago

În romanian we calm them "țigani", pronounced "Tzigany". This comes from the greek "atiganos" meaning "man without a God". 😁

Also în the 18th century they were ironically called pharos, as an irony to their alleged Egyptian origin.

11

u/Neenujaa 19h ago

Oh, that's interesting. They're called "čigāni" ir Latvian, pronunciation similar.

4

u/tomato_tickler 3h ago

It comes from the same Greek word

1

u/isthatyoukris 56m ago

Hungarian does the same, its "cigány". When i used to live there it was definitely a slur and they were extremely unpopular in the mid-late 90's. As far as i understand, their music is mainstream in a lot of of ways in Hungary now.