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Quote by Karl Wiggins

“All Romani dialects – about 60 in all - contain Armenian words, proof if you will that the Lom Bosha passed through Armenia in the early 11th century, trading spices along the Great Silk Road, that network of ancient trade routes connecting China with the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The Romani traded Armenian carpets, silk, dyes, lapis lazuli and tin, and it’s no surprise that five capitals of Armenia are on The Great Silk Road.”

Quote by Karl Wiggins

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Wrong Planet - Searching for your Tribe

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Karl Wiggins

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“The term “Romani,” as used in this story, is in some sense an anachronism—in the nineteenth century, Romanies would have been known primarily as “Gypsies” (Cigányok in Hungary). Due to the negative stereotypes attached to the term “Gypsy” and the fact that it stems from a mistaken idea of their origins (it’s a corruption of “Egyptian”), “Roma” or “Romani” has been widely adopted as the preferred form of address. I chose to use “Romani” to acknowledge this preference and to reflect the difference between the way Gábor views his family and friends (and the way Anna comes to) and outsider perspectives. Where “Gypsy” is used, it refers strictly to outsiders’ perspectives of Romani life.”

“What do women who live in houses, wear traditional long skirts, speak Romani to their family members and are offended when somebody calls them 'Gypsies' have in common with women who live in caravans, wear shorts, use only the occasional Romani word and refer to themselves as 'Gypsies?' What does a Romani coppersmith in Bulgaria share with a Romani used-car dealer in Los Angeles? How can a Spanish musician of Gitano background feel represented by a Hungarian Romani member of the European Parliament?”