No surprise, therefore, can be entertained that the speech of the
Gitanos in general, who, in all probability, departed from
Hindustan long subsequent to the first Mahometan invasions,
abounds, like other Indian dialects, with words either purely
Persian, or slightly modified to accommodate them to the genius of
the language. Whether the Rommany originally constituted part of
the natives of Multan or Guzerat, and abandoned their native land
to escape from the torch and sword of Tamerlane and his Mongols, as
Grellmann and others have supposed, or whether, as is much more
probable, they were a thievish caste, like some others still to be
found in Hindustan, who fled westward, either from the vengeance of
justice, or in pursuit of plunder, their speaking Persian is alike
satisfactorily accounted for. With the view of exhibiting how
closely their language is connected with the Sanscrit and Persian,
we subjoin the first ten numerals in the three tongues, those of
the Gypsy according to the Hungarian dialect. (69)
Gypsy. Persian. Sanscrit. (70)
1 Jek Ek Ega
2 Dui Du Dvaya
3 Trin Se Treya
4 Schtar Chehar Tschatvar
5 Pansch Pansch Pantscha
6 Tschov Schesche Schasda
7 Efta Heft Sapta
8 Ochto Hescht Aschta
9 Enija Nu Nava
10 Dosch De Dascha
It would be easy for us to adduce a thousand instances, as striking
as the above, of the affinity of the Gypsy tongue to the Persian,
Sanscrit, and the Indian dialects, but we have not space for
further observation on a point which long since has been
sufficiently discussed by others endowed with abler pens than our
own; but having made these preliminary remarks, which we deemed
necessary for the elucidation of the subject, we now hasten to
speak of the Gitano language as used in Spain, and to determine, by
its evidence (and we again repeat, that the language is the only
criterion by which the question can be determined), how far the
Gitanos of Spain are entitled to claim connection with the tribes
who, under the names of Zingani, etc.
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