Names of the Romani people#Gypsy and Gipsy

"Gypsy " is one in German-speaking evidenced since the early 15th century, presumably on the Byzantine Greek declining foreign term for population groups that are distinct, each distinctive, differing from the majority population characteristics are mapped into stereotypes. Two main methods of describing can be distinguished, which can occur in mixtures:

• "Gypsy " as sociographic collective category for different ethnic and social groups whose members is attributed to a lifestyle described as unstable, unbound, deviant and / or delinquent. This concept originated with the beginning of the early modern period.
• "Gypsy " as an ethnic group in a culturalist or biologistic understanding. A way of life likewise described as restless up to the " nomadism ", as unbound, deviant or delinquent is considered immutable characteristic. This concept goes back to the ethnographically oriented gypsy customer of the late 18th century and is still effective. As part of this concept was and is "gypsy " as a collective name based on the groups of Roma, exclusive of National Socialism.

Since the late 18th century, a perspective in terms of " folk " and "race ," which increasingly solidified in the 19th century developed. At the same time with a discriminatory came to a delimiting also romanticized view that umwertete negative stereotypes positive.

The weightier national and international organizations representing Roma interests object to the use of the term Roma from because of the stigmatizing and racist connotations. You see the word in the context of a long history of persecution that culminated in the Nazi genocide.

From the language of German governmental and non governmental administration, the judiciary, major social institutions such as trade unions or churches, international authorities and the policy, the term "Gypsy " is now gone. He is hardly ever used in the media, with the exception of extreme right-wing publications and their related organizations.

Own names such as Roma or Sinti have other meanings and other connotations than the foreign name. They can therefore not be compared to her, but to solve them with independent content.

• 2.1 19th and 20th centuries
• 2.2 To present position of "Gypsy " 2.2.1 Within the minority
• 2.2.2 In the self-designation of discourse Jenischen
• 2.2.3 In politics, administration, social institutions
• 2.2.4 In the scientific discourse
• 2.2.5 In journalism
• 2.2.6 legislation
• 2.2.7 Conclusion

For the classification of the term

Distribution area, early onset, etymology

In German, Gypsy Folk etymology is sometimes mistakenly referred to as " pull - Gäuner ", thus " pulling (itinerant ) crooks " interpreted. In particular, why the name is rejected often charged as negative today.

However, the word gypsy is a foreign name, which is found in similar forms in many European languages. One of the oldest Latin documents in Central Europe is secanus as a Latinization of the name of a group that in 1417 in Lübeck caused a stir ( Sec ( h) anos se nuncupantes ).

The exact origin of the common European ethnonym is uncertain and partly mythical. But recognized by most scholars is the thesis of an origin from the Greek word middle Athinganoi, which described the followers of a Gnostic sect that was found mainly in Phrygia, a landscape in western Anatolia. A biography of the "holy George of Athos " from the beginning of the 12th century contains a legend that should have occurred in 1054. Thus, had " Samaritans, descendants of Simon Magus, which Adsinganer are called" exempt hunting preserve of the Byzantine emperor by a defensive magic from invading wild animals.

Athinganoi in the sense of the later "Gypsy " occurs since the 12th or 13th century, first with still uncertain terms at Theodoros Balsamon ( † after 1195) for snake charmers and fortune tellers, and then, with clear reference (o tous kai kai Aìgyptíous Athingánous, see below) at Gregorios II Kyprios (1283-1289 Patriarch of Constantinople Opel ). Whether the documents of the 11th and 12th century already testify to the presence of Roma in Byzantium or have but to refer to soothsayers from other sources, it is discussed in the research.

Alternatively, derivations of Persian Ciganch ( musicians, dancers ), of Persian asinkan ( forged ) or Old Turkish CIGAN were " poor, destitute " suggested.

"Gypsy " and " gypsy life "

Although the vast majority of Roma for many generations, stationary lives since at least the last third of the 19th century in Southeast Europe for centuries and in Central Europe, nomadism continues to apply the majority as " gypsy life ". Different life forms of a minority within the Roma are not only wrongly total generalized in this idea to the group, but you also attributed as biological or cultural constant.

In fact found and there are not locally bound Acquisition and ways of life across the centuries in many different versions worldwide and within many otherwise sedentary ethnic groups. Regardless of ethnic, cultural and social differences of these groups is sometimes " ziganische peoples " is used as a generic term for "gypsy ", where at the same time Roma be reduced collectively on a mobile a minority subgroup.

The literature speaks in this context of a "double gypsy term". It is unclear and inconsistent. With "Roma" can be "Gypsy " not translate, because the socio- graphic definition includes those Roma from which the imputed life real do not practice, while the ethnic definition those people excluded from the " Zigeunertum ", as non-Roma who ascribed " Gypsy " lifestyle have also.

It would also be problematic to understand the self- designations as a kind of literal translation of foreign names and use, because as the category continued to live "gypsy " implemented content in a new guise.

More exonyms

Another pan-European group name is derived from Egypt as a country of origin. It is mainly as a derivation of the place name Gyp ( p) e, mountain in the Peloponnese, interpreted, which is attested in several travel reports since the 1480s. There had accordingly there before the city Modon (now Methoni ) where a settlement called " small Egypt ". She was of " Egyptianern genant Heyden " or been inhabited by " Suyginern ".

In the first period of their occurrence in Europe Roma groups related to this origin myth and called themselves Egyptian pilgrims. As such, they received alms and letters of protection. "Egyptians " became a European majority society name: as Spanish Gitano, French Gitan, English Gypsy, Greek γύφτος ( Gyftos ), Serbian cipside, Turkish çingene. The article " Ziegeuner " in Johann Heinrich Zedler's " Universallexicon ," the influential German-language encyclopedia of the 18th century, called " Egyptians " as the most frequently ( " mostly " ) occurring in the German group name.

Is found both in northern Germany as well as in Scandinavian languages ​​and in the former Romanian -speaking countries the term Tatern or Tatars (Romanian TARTARI or Tatarasi ), which actually means the Tatars. In English, the original ethnonym tatters has completely lost its original meaning and is one of the words for " rags " today.

Also, the term Heidenen or Heider (ie "pagans ") was historically used. In Theodor Storm's work, "The Ghost Rider " were "gypsies" that should be sacrificed by the native North Frisians, referred to as Slovaks.

French and Spanish majority social descriptions are gipsies or bohemios ( " | Bohemia, Bohemian "). Their importance has focused on the members of a artistry that bohème, expanded, which is imagined as beyond bourgeois notions of order alive.

Given the discrediting of trained instances of the ordinal categorization and collection practice by the Nazis, the West German police authorities went to acting discreetly concealing alternative designations for "Gypsy " on. So to " vagrants ": The 1899 furnished in Munich central gypsy message service ( "gypsy Center," National Socialism "Gypsy police control center " ) as was maintained over Nazism also, but now under the new name " Landfahrer place ". Another code name is " mobile ethnic minority." Its purpose is to circumvent the prohibition imposed on the police to announce the affiliation of the suspects in the minority in public statements.

The historic position of the self- designations

Contrary to popular belief, the self- descriptions in German-speaking countries for a long time in the majority society known, without, however, ever came up in the 1980s in an appreciable competition with gypsies. You have always had an insignificant margin position. 1793 found an author, it is " the question of how a people called themselves, important for historical and etymological studies. So how did the gypsies call themselves? We rightly responds: Roma or Romma in the multiple number, Rome in the simple "Also" Sinte " is familiar to him. . " Gypsy woman " is busy in the regional dialect. The strongly anti -Semitic and antiziganist Hessian regional writer Rudolf Oeser used the self- designations. Gustav Freytag said the gypsy nennten " today Sinte " on or " romany tschib " Concerning operative " of Rome, as he calls himself " a private language.

At least in the French-speaking world by contrast had the subject concepts before the paradigm shift of the 1980s a permanent place at least in the technical and in the home literature.

"Gypsies" in the public discourse of modernity

19th and 20th centuries

The semantics of gypsies moved long between a culturalist or biologically specific ethnic and socio- graphic content. In the second case, also non-Roma could be meant: Thus, since the 19th century occasionally the label "white gypsies " on the "living according to Gypsy vagabonds " from majority societal perspective, and since about 1900 the "culture Gypsy " on majority of social non-conformist artist ( " bohemians " ) applied. The socio- graphical attribution included nevertheless not unlike the ethnic typing of those affected as "Community- harmful" or as the "degenerate".

With the coming to power of the Nazis, the term has been systematically "scientific" racialized and later in a category system of " coming real gypsies ", " Gypsy half-breeds " constructed by varying degrees of " mixed blood " and " non- Gypsies " according to the concept of the Nuremberg Laws. Gypsy was so at least since the late 1930s, one of the breed research and the police and other tracking devices exclusively ethno- biologically -meaning categorization, based on a variety of Ausschließungsvorschriften to the deportation lists for Auschwitz. Therefore, the term is now considered in many parts of the social discourse as contaminated. Especially the members of the minority even understand the word as it as a heading on a long history of persecution with the eventual genocide ( Porajmos ).

If the natural numbers took the place of gypsies, this is mainly due to the efforts of organizing itself since the 1970s Roma and majority of their social supporters. The civil rights movement confronted the majority society with the unaccustomed words, to change the usual view on the minority. The own names symbolize a break with the traditional majority societal perspective and the recognition of the minority as an independent and self- defining size. To request a non-discriminatory way of looking of the majority society.

Until about 1980, German-language publications on the subject is almost invariably the word "Gypsy " is used in text and title. Exemplary for the onset of departure from the foreign name and for the close connection between the civil rights movement and naming discourse are by Tilman Zülch by the Company issued for Threatened Peoples in 1979 Book In Auschwitz gassed, persecuted until today - the situation of Roma ( Gypsies) in Europe and published in 1980, commissioned by the Friedrich- Naumann -Stiftung Bremen Proceedings Sinti in the Federal Republic - doomed to lawlessness?

For today's position of " Gypsy"

Within the minority

Already In 1978 Vincent Rose, Chairman of the then Association of Cinti Germany, on the occasion of the award of the Order of Merit stated that it was " only right to call him ' Cinto ' " because "gypsy " was discriminatory. The justified in the 1980s, interest groups such as the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, Rome and Cinti Union ( Hamburg) and the Roma Union ( Frankfurt am Main ) or the younger association Amaro Drom (Berlin) reject the foreign name from as racist and refer while on their history. So also the Cologne-based, but far beyond that recognized borne by non-Roma Rome V. The Sinti Alliance Germany - one of the less significant mergers, limited to a few families from the sub-groups of Sinti and Lovara - accepted for a long time the name, although they avoided them in their proper names. You bemaß their usefulness after the private speaker 's intention. The release of the group name is used by some traditionalist Sinti - here sooner the Sinti Alliance (Cologne) filed - also regarded as a violation of the prohibition to communicate with and against the non- Roma in Romani, so that speakers then prefer to " Gypsy " dodge. In the meantime (2013 ), the Sinti Alliance revised their self-description as a " merger German Gypsy" and now speaks only of " Gypsy ", " Lovara ", " Roma ".

As an overall designation of members of all subgroups recommends the Roma International Federation International Romani Union Roma, while deviating the German Central Council and supported by him Documentation Centre of German Sinti and Roma talk conceptually inconsistent of Sinti and Roma. In the meantime (2013 ) but one is also there ready to describe as "Roma" " designation is used internationally " and acknowledge.

For everyday language practice provided a 1970er/Anfang end of the 1980s, resulting investigation for Rhenish carnival milieu in which mainly Sinti traditionally play an important role, noted that " ... hardly accept the word of the Gypsies themselves " will. " Rather, the vagrants ... call themselves depending on clan affiliation as Rome, man, gypsy man '... or as sinte gypsies ".

In an investigation of the current educational situation of German Roma, which was conducted between 2007 and 2011 and emerged in the context of the Central Council, was also asked about the use of group names by members of the minority. Were discussed according to the self-understanding of the Central alone, the two self- designations Roma and Sinti, and also the foreign name Gypsy. Not quite 95% of respondents used the self- designations of 57.5 % was the foreign term " always a problem," 14.9 % had found "no problem with the use of the term by other Gypsy " and other 25.7 %, " think it matters whether this term is used pejoratively or even as an insult ." 6.9% towards the Gypsy term on themselves, sometimes in addition to Roma or Sinti.

In the self-designation of discourse Jenischen

The dominated Jenischen Swiss Association of Travellers road used in the first two decades of its activity "gypsy " as a self-designation for the members of " one [ he ] mixed [n ] community of Sinti, Romani and Jenischen ", this remnant of the " Travellers in Switzerland, showman [n ], Fair Dealers [ n], Fair [= fair / Kirtag ] - and circus people [n ] " partitioning. But these, it retracted from around the mid -1990s and dispensed in a row on the Gypsy label. Since the mid-1980s, she draws an ethnically defined strict dividing line to the groups of Roma and ethnicized the Jenische population group to a separate " Jenische people."

In politics, administration, social institutions

The "Catholic pastoral care of Gypsies " took the concept to the year 2010. Bishop of Hildesheim Norbert Trelle as representative of " pastoral care of Gypsies " declared in 2008 to the church wanted the notion that dignity and meaning to return to it by centuries- old prejudices and the Nazi crimes had been taken, namely by providing him further use. "Gypsy " was a socio- graphic, at the same time but also ethnic collective term for a "people in motion ", which he then assigned both Roma Jenische for him. Their " nomadic culture " have a belief brought them all together strange and Sedentary " difficult to comprehend " "".

The Central Council criticized the re-use of description as the flat representation of the Roma as "nomads". "Gypsy " brochure prejudice, because it is a inseparably linked with racist attributions and prejudices superimposed foreign denomination of the majority was that was perceived by the vast majority of members of the minority as discriminatory. "Nomads" talking to people from their home rights. The write-up might suggest "Gypsies" were an archaic " tribal society ", which is not integrated into modern environment society. However, the members of the minority were real part of society and as such would take part in its development.

2010 ended the German Bishops Conference in their existing practices and decided to change the name of their facility in "Catholic pastoral care for Roma, Sinti and related groups ." " Pastoral care of Gypsies " am no longer in line with the common parlance and was perceived by those affected as misleading or discriminatory. Trelle was replaced by Bishop Franz reserved pictures.

In scientific discourse

In scientific usage, the term sometimes occurs far, but is regularly put in on and quotation marks, or at least provided with the notice, a source term to be so non- affirmative Citing used. Distinction is reflected in use in professional discourse between the " term ' gypsy ' as an object - concept from the perspective of tracking instances" and the "subject - term of those affected " (2008). " The label ' Gypsy ' " contained " quite independently of the intentions of a particular talker at least for the addressee a significant devaluation ". " Depreciation " is " the substance of the history of this term ." The pejorative semantics 'll not only fail to solve from the name, it is preserves and tradiere they rather (2007).

This compares with a well outside the scientific discourse (see above) held view against which clings to the foreign name and in their critics ' Gypsy fans, " " Gypsy friends "or" unrealistic do-gooders "sees. So even in 2004 Hermann Arnold, who died the following year Erbhygieniker and "Gypsy expert" in the wake of the Nazi Gypsy researcher Robert Ritter. On other grounds in 2005 expressed the historian Eberhard Jäckel: pejorative was " Gypsy" - irrelevant of word history and semantic context - not when it is well meant.

A striking exception within the professional discourse formed by 2012 the Leipzig School of Tsiganologie. Her most famous spokesman, the anthropologist Bernhard Streck submitted, the inherited group label is a " time-honored term". The he represents "serious Tsiganologie " was therefore the language change described by him as "rename " " not participate. " Same stretch made ​​it a point to may be described as " Gypsy expert " instead of "Gypsy researcher" or "Gypsy watchers ". These designations were discredited by the Nazi racial research. Streck and his school were of a decidedly socio graphical ethnienübergreifendes Gypsy concept that is aligned with the constructs of " dissidence " and " nomadism ", refuses to accept the definition and the only commonality of equally as "Gypsies" designated

• Indigenous groups in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa, which have nothing to do with ethnic Roma, and
• The groups of the Roma a dazzling " tense [s ] relationship with the majority population " looks. In research, this approach encounters severe criticism.

2012 put the circle around a stretch its activities. Since there is no one at German universities more, there still the "Gypsy research " / " Tsiganologie " operates.

In journalism

In the German media, the term is now located in an increasingly minimalized outsider. Tallied an example, resulted in time and in the daily newspaper already for the period from 1995/96 to 2003:

• As the most commonly used form with content definitely ethnic Roma,
• Which occurred three times as often as Sinti,
• While the ethnically ambiguous label Gypsies still had a share of 20-30%.

The enumeration in the period from 2003 also showed that Romany apart from " citing uses in reflections on the Word of gypsies " and apart from the historiographical citation of the source term at all, only in romanticized, "positive" uses of ( in literature and music) occurred or figuratively ( "Life as a Gypsy ").

In the years 1995 to 2002, the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma filed against a total of 381 newspaper articles a complaint with the German Press Council, because whatever suspects as "Gypsies ", " Sinti / Roma ", " vagrant " or other synonyms used labels such as " MEM had been " ( for" mobile ethnic minority occupied "). 2003, there were 51 and 2004 52 newspaper articles. Reached in 2007, the Press Complaints 39. In a substantial portion of the write-ups, it was loud Press Council to by other speakers acquired in a medium citations. As it often spoken of " gypsies ", is not known. Every year the Central ranges on 7 December to the Press complaints of discriminatory representations of Roma. They would, it was said in 2009, declined in recent years. From the undesirable use of " Gypsy" was no more talk.

In the meantime (2013 ) the affirmative use of ' Gypsy ' in the serious German language media no longer detectable. For the newspaper Die Welt 's "Gypsy " is a " former name " (2010). " This word, ' Gypsies ' ," said the literary scholar Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, " you should ( like its equivalents in other languages ​​, ' gypsy ', for example or ' gitano ') avoid for good reasons, that's for sure - and so much of respect has now also recorded. "

Legislation

The General Equal Treatment Act (2006) and the establishment of the Anti -Discrimination Agency (2006) have attention and sensitivity can be set up just for everyday forms of discrimination. Legal regulations encourage those concerned to act against it. Thus, the association of Bad Hersfeld Sinti and Roma in October 2009 filed a criminal complaint for sedition and libel against the forest Hessian display sheet " plain text ". The German Press Council supported him with the statement, " plain text " in breach of the Press Code. For the association stated the studied theologian Samson Lind, " we are not gypsies, but Sinti and Roma ".

A similar function as the AGG in Germany has in dealing with the term " Gypsy" and the associated content in Austria the multiple amended and EU directives adjusted Federal Equal Treatment Act (B- GBG ) of 1993. An example of the application of the law is the decision of the equal Treatment Commission at the Federal Chancellery in 2005 against a sign " No place for gypsies" a private campsite operator. She came to the conclusion that the sign " both discriminatory and harassing " and that " the term ' gypsy ' discriminatory within the meaning of the Equal Treatment Act " was.

Also, the § 283 of the Austrian Penal Code draws a boundary against discrimination. Who publicly against members of groups or whole groups against " rushing or in the manner violating human dignity insulted and thereby disparaging " which, among other things, " according to the criteria of race, skin color, language, ... of the nationality descent or national or ethnic origin "can be defined, is liable to prosecution.

Conclusion

Overall, " Gypsy" in the public use of language, such as the judiciary, government and non-governmental administration, representing major social institutions such as political parties, trade unions or churches, national policy or the pronouncements of international institutions him today no longer detectable (as of 2010). An example is a recent statement from the European Commission, according to which it corresponds with the practice of EU policy documents and discussions, self- apply the term " Roma " in cases where there are Roma who of " Gypsies " (or with their non-German counterparts etc. ) speak of " Gypsies ", " Gitanos ", " Gitans ".

The rejection of "Gypsy " in the political realm and the media has an exception: Right-wing extremist organizations and the media continue to favor "Gypsy " and see the term as the politically correct term. Here are the minority traditional alleged key features of " delinquency " and " nomadic" life attributed. Is applied "Gypsy " especially on south-eastern European Roma who were deported. This also includes compositions with derogatory connotation as "Gypsies lobby ", " gypsy clan " or " gypsy leader ". " The centuries-old designation gypsies " is not discriminatory. In contrast, if it were, it is, with the gesture of opposition to " political correctness " in the use of "Roma" or " Gypsy " is an adaptation of " prescribed media language rules ". At least for Austria is true, also including right-wing populist media.

The changes of recent decades have not even been here without effect. It is quite occasionally also of " Roma " is mentioned.

For the position of foreign names in Europe

Across Europe, there are the foreign names on the decline. Reasons for this are

• The general cultural paradigm shift in the last third of the 20th century, with a fundamental change of the view of minorities, which is not penetrated by discriminatory group names in many cases and
• The self-organization of Roma in national and international interest groups and their efforts to change traditional majority societal perspective.

The development, however, does not proceed uniformly, but according to the different social and political conditions. In Scandinavia, the foreign names are now historical. In Romania, resulted in pressure from the outside - through the bodies of the EU - although a government commitment as discriminatory to delete the foreign name from the official use of language and in the future to speak of "Roma", but this met with considerable social contradiction. Romanian nationalists opened in 2009 a campaign for a law to reintroduce Ţigani and the elimination of roma.

For today's position of " Gypsy" in the private language

From the public to the private use of language is to be distinguished. While there are no studies on the elderly and the present state of "Gypsy " in private everyday communication within the majority society. However, it must be assumed that the term is with him accompanying connotations to be of importance:

• This is supported by the results of public opinion research. Resentment against "gypsies" were therefore also in the last few decades, or a fixed position in the imagination of the majority population. Concerning the experience of National Socialism also Since the beginning of appropriate surveys in the early 1960s, the "gypsies " in the Federal Republic by far the least popular of all ethnic groups. 2002 rejected 58 percent of Germans according to a survey by Infratest on behalf of the American Jewish Committee "Gypsy " from neighbors. 2011, a survey of the Bielefeld Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Conflict and Violence Research, 44.2 % agreement on the assertion that " Sinti and Roma are prone to crime " and 40.1 % agreement on "I would have problems with it when Sinti and Roma in my residing area. "

• The already known from the 1920s, presumably but older folk saying " zig, zag, Gypsy Pack" has outlasted the language change completely unimpaired. He remains one of the repertoire German football fans, but occurs (similar picturesquely costumed groups of " Gypsies " ) also in the carnival. Repeatedly led to criminal charges against the spell now the spokesman. Contrary to the social reality of occupied with the concept of diverse minorities are the derived forms gypsies, also roaming around today after the entry of the Duden (2014) slang for a fictional community of life, the "disordered ", " restless ", " vagrant ", " of no fixed abode and right career is ".