Zigeuner
German
Etymology
Middle High German Cigäwnär (mentioning, 1420s), compare Zeginer and Ziginer (15th century).
Most likely from a Byzantine Greek term meaning "untouchable"; compare the Modern Greek designations Τσιγγάνοι (Tsingánoi), Αθίγγανοι (Athínganoi).[1][2][3] Cognate to Hungarian cigány and terms borrowed from it such as English tzigane, Portuguese cigano, French tzigane, Romanian țigan, and Russian цыга́н (cygán); see those entries for other cognates and for more information.
The extended senses derive from racist and/or Romantic stereotypes of the Roma.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /t͡siˈɡɔɪ̯nɐ/
Audio (file)
Noun
Zigeuner m (strong, genitive Zigeuners, plural Zigeuner, feminine Zigeunerin)
- (sometimes offensive) Gypsy, member of the Roma, Romani person
- (sometimes offensive) member of any of several other nomadic minorities
- (offensive) disorderly, lazy or dodgy person
- (offensive) bohemian; unconventional or nonconformist artist or writer
Usage notes
The Central Council of German Sinti and Roma rejects the use of "Zigeuner" as a designation for the Roma, regarding it as racist and as having been discredited by the Nazis' use of it. Nonetheless, some Romani individuals continue to use the term.[4]
Declension
Synonyms
- (gypsy): Rotationseuropäer
- (in plural) Sinti und Roma, Roma und Sinti, Roma
Hyponyms
- Zigeunerfrau
- Zigeunerjunge
- Zigeunerkind
- Zigeunermädchen
- Zigeunermann
- Zigeunerweib
Derived terms
- Zigeunerapfel
- Zigeunerart
- Zigeunerbande
- Zigeunerfamilienlager, Zigeuner-Familienlager
- Zigeunergecko
- Zigeunerglocke
- Zigeunerglocken
- zigeunerhaft
- Zigeunerhahn
- Zigeunerhuhn
- zigeunerisch
- Zigeunerjazz
- Zigeunerkapelle
- Zigeunerklößchen
- Zigeunerklösschen
- Zigeunerkraut
- Zigeunerlager
- Zigeunerlauch
- Zigeunerleben
- Zigeunerleute
- Zigeunermusik
- zigeunern
- Zigeunerpack
- Zigeunerpilz
- Zigeunerprimas
- Zigeunersauce
- Zigeunerschnitzel
- Zigeunerschnitzel
- Zigeunersosse
- Zigeunersoße
- Zigeunersprache
- Zigeunerstamm
- Zigeunertonalität
- Zigeunertonleiter
- Zigeunervolk
- Zigeunerwagen
- Zigeunerware
- Zigeunerweise
- Zigeunerwesen
- Zigeunerwirtschaft
- Zigeunerwurz
References
- 2004, Viorel Achim, The Roma in Romanian History (Bucharest), page 9
- 2007, Jean-Pierre Liégeois, Roma In Europe, page 17
- 1993, Struggling for Ethnic Identity: The Gypsies of Hungary (published by Human Rights Watch), page 1
- Zu Besuch bei kölschen Sinti: "Markus Reinhardt und seine Familie leben seit Generationen in Deutschland. Den Begriff 'Sinti und Roma' mögen sie nicht, sie bevorzugen das deutsche Wort 'Zigeuner'. Oder kölsche Sinti."
- Anna-Lena Sälzer, Arme, Asoziale, Außenseiter : Künstler- und »Zigeuner«-Diskurse von 1900 bis zum Nationalsozialismus, in »Zigeuner« und Nation : Repräsentation - Inklusion - Exklusion, put out by Herbert Uerlings and Iulia-Karin Patrut (in Frankfurt am Main in 2008), pages 203–230 (re use to designate ethnic groups like the Roma and cultural movements like the Bohemian movement of nonconformist artists)
