Reading

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Exams LOE

A WANDERING1 VOICE: THE LANGUAGE OF THE GYPSIES
The Rom, commonly known as Gypsies, provide a particularly good example of the
notion that language is a key to a people’s identity.
Some experts say the Gypsies come from central India. Others maintain that
they originated in north-west India. Because of their constant mobility and the fact that
at leastten centuries have gone by since their exodus from their homeland, it is difficult
to say with certainty whether or not they originated in the Punjab. Scattered2 all over
the world in a Diaspora which has lasted many centuries, we know that the Rom are
united by a common origin. Many grammatical forms and a basic vocabulary in their
language –called Romani Chib- are in many ways similar to somelanguages spoken in
India today, which confirms that India is the Rom’s original homeland.
When, a thousand years or more ago, the nomadic ancestors of today’s Rom
began their long journey westwards, they lived in proximity to sedentary peoples of
different languages and customs from whom they borrowed certain linguistic and
cultural characteristics. After the thirteenth century the processaccelerated and the
language of the Rom was transformed, sometimes profoundly. This phenomenon had
positive effects on the Romani vocabulary, which was enriched with words from many
European languages. But it also had negative effects because it increased the
difficulties for speakers of the different dialects to understand each other.
Nowadays, in spite of the common origin of the language,speakers of the
Danubian, the western Balkan, the Finnish, the Italian, the Sinto or the British Romani
dialects –and this list is by no means exhaustive- find it hard to understand one
another. Even worse: certain Rom groups are in the process of abandoning their
language. For example, an elderly Spanish Rom recently moaned3: “my grandchildren
are no longer able to speak Caló with me!” [Calóis the Hispano-Romani dialect of the
Iberian Gypsies].
The good news is that the Rom have not become totally assimilated or so far
integrated in the western cultures so as to lose their identity or their originality.
Moreover, in recent years a strong desire for cultural union based on their common
origins, language and values has appeared among the Rom of different countries.
Furthermore,there is an increasingly widespread tendency to write in Romani,
an oral language up to now. Old Gypsy songs and fables are being transcribed, but
also documents and literary works. Newspapers, magazines and web-sites are also
available. A Romani grammar in Romani was published in former Yugoslavia in the
1990s and in 2001, in Sweden, there were TV programmes in Romani with Swedish
subtitles.Also, there are those who believe that the language of the Rom should have
a “special position” in public radio and television in the near future.
The publication of literary works in Romani and the promotion of the language in
the media may be a first step towards its unification and may lead to a deeper selfawareness4 among the Rom. Today this movement is contributing to a transformation
ofthe not always positive image of the Gypsy. The strengthening of their culture and
their regained capacity to communicate in their own language seem to be helping the
Rom to become full members of modern society.
(From the Internet. Adapted)
[June’06 – Official Test]

wandering: errant, sense rumb / errante, sin rumbo
scattered: dispersos / dispersos
3
moaned (to moan): queixar-se /quejarse
4
self-awareness: conciència pròpia / conciencia propia
1
2

Departament d´Idiomes

pàgina:

73

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Exams LOE

PART ONE: READING COMPREHENSION
Choose the best answer according to the text. [0,5 points for each correct answer – Wrong
answers will be penalized –0,16]
1. According to the text …
a) it is clear that the Gypsies originally come from India...