The Roma are an ethnic group of traditionally itinerant people who originated in northern India and today live worldwide, principally in Europe . Most Roma speak some form of Romany .

Roma

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Roma

Q: Where do the Roma live?

The Roma people live principally in Europe , especially in the Slavic -speaking lands of the Balkans and central Europe. Many Roma live in Romania , Bulgaria , Serbia , Montenegro , Macedonia , Croatia , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Slovenia , the Czech Republic , Slovakia , and Hungary .

Q: What does the word Roma mean?

The word Roma is the plural form of Rom. Many Roma refer to themselves as Rom, a generic name that means “man” or “husband.”

Q: Why are the Roma discriminated against?

Because the Roma are a traditionally nomadic people, they have often been blamed for many evils by local populaces and majority groups and persecuted accordingly. This was most clearly shown during the Holocaust , when the Nazis murdered an estimated 400,000 Roma.

people

Also known as: Calo, Cigány, Ciganos, Dom, Gitanes, Gitanos, Gypsy, Rom, Romany, Sinti, Tsigan, Zigeuner

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 2, 2025 • Article History

Singular:: Rom

Also called:: Romany or Gypsies (considered pejorative)

Related Topics:: nomadism; Ḍom; Kalderash; Gitanos; Manush

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Who are the Roma?

Where do the Roma live?

What does the word Roma mean?

Why are the Roma discriminated against?

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Roma, an ethnic group of traditionally itinerant people who originated in northern India but live in modern times worldwide, principally in Europe. Most Roma speak some form of Romany, a language closely related to the modern Indo-European languages of northern India, as well as the major language of the country in which they live. It is generally agreed that Roma groups left India in repeated migrations and that they were in Persia by the 11th century, in southeastern Europe by the beginning of the 14th, and in western Europe by the 15th century. By the second half of the 20th ...(100 of 1607 words)

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