Of the former there exists a
vocabulary, published first by Juan Hidalgo, in the year 1609, at
Barcelona, and reprinted in Madrid, 1773. Before noticing this
work, it will perhaps be advisable to endeavour to ascertain the
true etymology of the word Germania, which signifies the slang
vocabulary, or robber language of Spain. We have no intention to
embarrass our readers by offering various conjectures respecting
its origin; its sound, coupled with its signification, affording
sufficient evidence that it is but a corruption of Rommany, which
properly denotes the speech of the Roma or Gitanos. The thieves
who from time to time associated with this wandering people, and
acquired more or less of their language, doubtless adopted this
term amongst others, and, after modifying it, applied it to the
peculiar phraseology which, in the course of time, became prevalent
amongst them. The dictionary of Hidalgo is appended to six
ballads, or romances, by the same author, written in the Germanian
dialect, in which he describes the robber life at Seville at the
period in which he lived. All of these romances possess their
peculiar merit, and will doubtless always be considered valuable,
and be read as faithful pictures of scenes and habits which now no
longer exist.
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