Caló language

Spoken in

-

Roa

Rmr

As Calo the language of the gypsies in the Iberian peninsula is called. It is spoken primarily by gypsies of southern Spain, in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura, who see themselves as Calé (Eng. written Kale ), respectively. The language of the Kale, called by them Calo and in Linguistics and Ibero- Romani is no Romani language in the real sense, but is referred to as Para- Romani language, as it not only in phonetics and vocabulary, but also is characterized as strong in syntax and morphology by its Romanesque contact languages ​​that they regarded as their variant, and not more than variety of Romani.

Linguistic classification

The Calo is called a mixed language. Linguists have found about 300 to 400 words in Calo, originating from the Romany language, with the vocabulary of the individual interviewed informants in each case were only a maximum of 100 of these Romany words. The Romany parts of speech that comes from the language of the Kalderash who lived traditionally as coppersmiths and tinkers. However, the vast remainder of the Calo comes from the Romance languages ​​of the Iberian peninsula, where the Kale live since the 15th century. For this reason, a Calo - speaker can not converse in Romany with Roma from Eastern Europe since the Calo has moved too far away from the Romany language. The Romanesque main influence on the Calo comes from the Castilian, especially from its southern Andalusian variants. In the different regions of the Iberian peninsula there are different varieties of Calo which are influenced by the Romanesque respective local languages ​​. There is a Catalan Calo, a Portuguese Calo ( there called calao, or Lusitano - Romani ), as well as in the New World a Brazilian Calo ( calao Brasileiro). In the Basque Country there is a separate Roma language, Erromintxela, referred to in Spanish as Calo Vasco. However Erromintxela is a mixed language between Romany and Basque and has only a small proportion of Romanesque influences.

The Andalusian Calo often contains numerous ancient forms of Castilian, such as the voseo ( polite form of address with vos, instead of Usted ). Phonologically it comes as in many other southern Spanish varieties to the collapse of the otherwise typical of the Iberian Spanish distinction between s [s ] and z [ θ ], the so-called Seseo or Ceceo.

Numbers of speakers

The Calo is an endangered language whose speakers number goes back down from generation to generation, as many young Gypsies to the language of the majority population change and know only individual words from the Calo. Currently the number of Calo - speakers is estimated at about 70,000, with 40,000 living in Spain and spread to the subgroups Castilian and Catalan Calo. Living in France about 15,000 speakers who speak Castilian or Catalan Calo, including the local Erromintxela spokesman. In Portugal, the Portuguese calao is spoken by about 5,000 people, and in Brazil of about 10,000.

Loanwords from Calo

The Spanish and Catalan have taken many words from the Calo, who have become part of the standard language, are partially used only kolloquial in the jargon or slang. Examples are Gacho ( by Gadjo: "the man" ), chaval (of Tschawale, vocative of chavo, " boy, lad ," originally "son" ), Parné ( "money" ), chorar ( "steal" ), or currelar currar ( "work" ), fetuses ( "excellent, super " ), molar ( "fallen" ), pinrel (of pinré, "foot" ), biruji ( "cold" ), piltra ( "bed" ), churumbel ( " Child, Baby " ), sacais ( " eyes " ), Pitingo ( " arrogant " ), camelar ( " like " ), chola ( " head "), laugh ( " Revenge " ), galochi ( " heart ").

In Catalan following Calo - words in the vernacular can be found: halar (pronounced [ həɫa ] or [ xəɫa ]; " eat " ), xaval ( " boy, lad " ), Dinyar ( la ) ( "die" ), palmar ( la ) ( "die" ), cangueli ( " fear " ), paio ( " non-Roma " ) Cale ( "money" ), cangri ( "prison" ), pispar ( " nodding " ), birlar ( " nod " ), XORAR ( " steal " ), mangar ( " steal " ), molar ( " like " ), pringar ( " exaggerate " ), pirar ( - se ) ( " to go away, make rar " ), sobar ( " sleep " ), privar ( " drink " ), xusma ( " Hick " ), lax ( " shame " ) catipén (" stink " ), xaxi ( " great, great " ), xivar - se ( " betrayed someone tattling " ), xivato ( " informer " ), xinar ( - s) ( " get upset " ), fer el llonguis ( " stupid questions " ) and potra ( " happiness " ).

Calo Flamenco

The Calo with his vocabulary and his sayings one of the main sources for the lyrics of flamenco songs. This originated in southern Spain style of music has its origins in the Iberian gypsies and is worldwide the most popular form of expression of their culture. Since the flamenco is seen not only as Gitano music, but is considered part of the traditional southern Spanish folk music of all ethnic groups, an own Flamenco vocabulary has developed. There are words and phrases that do not occur in standard Castilian, but they are part of many flamenco lyrics and mostly from the Calo, but also in part from the Moorish Arabic and Judaeo-Spanish ( Ladino ). Certain words have a derogatory meaning in everyday language, can in the language of flamenco have a poetic and emotionally charged particularly important. So the word is camelar Calo Flamenco for love, desire, eat one's heart out and the word mangar for calling, ask, plead.