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etc.) arrived fugitives from the heart of Asia by the steppes of
Tartary, at the beginning of the fifteenth century, while the

Gitanos, descended from the Arab or Morisco tribes, came from the
coast of Africa as conquerors at the beginning of the eighth.'

He gets rid of any evidence with respect to the origin of the
Gitanos which their language might be capable of affording in the

following summary manner: 'As to the particular jargon which they
use, any investigation which people might pretend to make would be

quite useless; in the first place, on account of the reserve which
they exhibit on this point; and secondly, because, in the event of

some being found sufficiently communicative, the information which
they could impart would lead to no advantageous result, owing to

their extreme ignorance.'
It is scarcely worth while to offer a remark on reasoning which

could only emanate from an understanding of the very lowest order,
- so the Gitanos are so extremely ignorant, that however frank they

might wish to be, they would be unable to tell the curious inquirer
the names for bread and water, meat and salt, in their own peculiar

tongue - for, assuredly, had they sense enough to afford that
slight quantum of information, it would lead to two very

advantageous results, by proving, first, that they spoke the same
language as the Gypsies, etc., and were consequently the same

people - and secondly, that they came not from the coast of
Northern Africa, where only Arabic and Shillah are spoken, but from

the heart of Asia, three words of the four being pure Sanscrit.
(72) As given in the MITHRIDATES of Adelung.

(73) Possibly from the Russian BOLOSS, which has the same
signification.

(74) Basque, BURUA.
(75) Sanscrit, SCHIRRA.

(76) These two words, which Hervas supposes to be Italian used in
an improper sense, are probably of quite another origin. LEN, in

Gitano, signifies 'river,' whilst VADI in Russian is equivalent to
water.

(77) It is not our intention to weary the reader with prolix
specimens; nevertheless, in corroboration of what we have asserted,

we shall take the liberty of offering a few. Piar, to drink, (p.
188,) is Sanscrit, PIAVA. Basilea, gallows, (p. 158,) is Russian,

BECILITZ. Caramo, wine, and gurapo, galley, (pp. 162, 176,)
Arabic, HARAM (which literally signifies that which is forbidden)

and GRAB. Iza, (p. 179,) harlot, Turkish, KIZE. Harton, bread,
(p. 177,) Greek, ARTOS. Guido, good, and hurgamandera, harlot,

(pp. 177, 178,) German, GUT and HURE. Tiple, wine, (p. 197,) is
the same as the English word tipple, Gypsy, TAPILLAR.

(78) This word is pure Wallachian ([Greek text which cannot be
reproduced]), and was brought by the Gypsies into England; it means

'booty,' or what is called in the present cant language, 'swag.'
The Gypsies call booty 'louripen.'

(79) Christmas, literally Wine-day.
(80) Irishman or beggar, literally a dirty squalid person.

(81) Guineas.
(82) Silver teapots.

(83) The Gypsy word for a certain town.
(84) In the Spanish Gypsy version, 'our bread of each day.'

(85) Span., 'forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.'
(86) Eng., 'all evil FROM'; Span., 'from all ugliness.'

(87) Span., 'for thine.'
(88) By Hungary is here meant not only Hungary proper, but

Transylvania.
(89) How many days made come the gentleman hither.

(90) How many-year fellow are you.
(91) Of a grosh.

(92) My name shall be to you for Moses my brother.
(93) Comes.

(94) Empty place.
(95) V. CASINOBEN in Lexicon.

(96) By these two words, Pontius Pilate is represented, but whence
they are derived I know not.

(97) Reborn.
(98) Poverty is always avoided.

(99) A drunkard reduces himself to the condition of a hog.
(100) The most he can do.

(101) The puchero, or pan of glazed earth, in which bacon, beef,
and garbanzos are stewed.

(102) Truth contrasts strangely with falsehood; this is a genuine
Gypsy proverb, as are the two which follow; it is repeated

throughout Spain WITHOUT BEING UNDERSTOOD.
(103) In the original WEARS A MOUTH; the meaning is, ask nothing,

gain nothing.
(104) Female Gypsy,

(105) Women UNDERSTOOD.
(106) With that motive awoke the labourer. ORIG.

(107) Gave its pleasure to the finger, I.E. his finger was itching
to draw the trigger, and he humoured it.

(108) They feared the shot and slugs, which are compared, and not
badly, to flies and almonds.

(109) Christmas, literally Wine-day.
(110) Irishman or beggar, literally a dirty squalid person.

(111) Guineas.
(114) Silver tea-pots.

(115) The Gypsy word for a certain town.
(116) As given by Grellmann.

(117) The English Gypsies having, in their dialect, no other term
for ghost than mulo, which simply means a dead person, I have been

obliged to substitute a compound word. Bavalengro signifies
literally a wind thing, or FORM OF AIR.

End


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