Introduction
The Romani people — often called Roma or, historically, "Gypsies" (a term many consider pejorative, derived from the mistaken belief that they came from Egypt) — have contributed a surprising wealth of words to English. Romani, an Indo-Aryan language with roots in the Indian subcontinent, has been spoken in Europe for over 700 years. Through centuries of contact between Romani communities and English-speaking populations, Romani vocabulary has seeped into English slang, colloquial speech, and eventually standard usage.
Many English speakers use Romani-origin words daily without any awareness of their source. Pal, cushy, nosh, lollipop, and bosh may all have Romani connections. These words typically entered English through informal channels — through market traders, traveling communities, the entertainment world, and the criminal underworld — rather than through literature or diplomacy. This gives Romani loanwords a distinctively colloquial, often playful character that enriches the informal register of English.
The Romani Language
Romani is an Indo-Aryan language, descended from Sanskrit-related languages of northwestern India. Linguistic evidence suggests that the ancestors of the Roma left India around 1,000 years ago, traveling through Persia, the Byzantine Empire, and into Europe. Romani retains a core Indian vocabulary while having absorbed words from Persian, Greek, Turkish, and Slavic languages during its westward migration.
In Britain, the Anglo-Romani dialect (sometimes called Pogadi Chib or Angloromani) developed as Romani speakers adopted English grammar while retaining Romani vocabulary. This mixed language facilitated the transfer of Romani words into English. The Romani community's role in horse trading, metalworking, fortune-telling, and traveling entertainment created multiple points of contact with English speakers, enabling vocabulary exchange at the informal, everyday level where the most colorful borrowings typically occur.
Pal: Romani Friendship in English
Pal is one of the most common English words with a probable Romani origin. It derives from Romani phral or pal (brother, friend), ultimately from Sanskrit bhrātṛ (brother). The word entered English in the 17th century through contact with Romani communities and has become one of the most widely used informal terms for a friend in the English language.
From pal, English has derived pally (friendly) and the phrase "pen pal." The word has been adopted so thoroughly that it appears in formal dictionaries without any Romani label — it has lost all trace of its origin for most speakers. This is the hallmark of a fully naturalized loanword: so completely absorbed that its foreign origin becomes invisible.
Everyday Slang from Romani
Cushy (easy, comfortable) may derive from Romani kushti or kushto (good), ultimately from Persian khush (pleasant, happy). A "cushy job" or "cushy number" in English means an easy, comfortable position — a usage that has spread from British slang into international English.
Nosh (to eat, a snack) may have Romani connections through nash (to eat, to run), though Yiddish is also proposed as a source. Lollipop has been tentatively connected to Romani loli phabai (red apple), though this etymology is uncertain and disputed. Bosh (nonsense) is sometimes attributed to Romani, though Turkish boş (empty) is another possible source. Mush (mate, friend) comes from Romani mush (man).
British Slang and Romani
British slang is particularly rich in Romani-derived vocabulary. Cosh (a weighted weapon, or to strike with one) may derive from Romani kosh (stick). Rum (in the sense of "odd, strange," as in "a rum business") may come from Romani rom (man, husband). Wonga (money, in British slang) possibly derives from Romani.
Gaffer (boss, foreman) may have Romani connections, though the etymology is complex. Char (tea, in British slang) comes through Romani from Hindi chai, illustrating how Romani preserved Indian vocabulary that then entered English. Divvy (stupid, or to divide up) may derive from Romani divano (foolish). The richness of Romani influence on British slang reflects centuries of coexistence between Romani and English-speaking communities.
Money and Trade
Lolly (money, in British slang) may derive from Romani loli (red), possibly referring to copper coins. Wonga (money) has also been linked to Romani. Dosh (money) is sometimes attributed to Romani origins, though this is uncertain. The frequency of money-related Romani borrowings in English slang reflects the commercial interactions between Romani traders and English speakers.
Chav (a young person of low social status, in British slang) has been connected to Romani chavi (child), though this etymology is disputed and some Romani community members object to the association. Hooky (stolen, suspicious) and dodgy may have Romani associations. The market culture and trading expertise of Romani communities created a shared commercial vocabulary with English speakers.
Character Descriptions
Minger (an unattractive person, British slang) may derive from Romani. Gadjo (or gorger — a non-Romani person) is increasingly known in English through media representations of Romani culture. Chavvy or chavi (child) appears in English dialects with historical Romani contact.
Rum (strange, odd) in expressions like "a rum do" may derive from Romani rom. Barmy (crazy) has been tentatively connected to Romani barmi, though this etymology is not established. Many character-description words in English slang have proposed Romani etymologies that are plausible but difficult to prove definitively, reflecting the informal, oral nature of the vocabulary exchange.
Food and Lifestyle
Nosh, as discussed, may have Romani food vocabulary connections. The Romani lifestyle — traveling, outdoor cooking, horse trading, seasonal work — has contributed conceptual vocabulary to English, even where specific Romani words are not borrowed. The English word caravan, while Persian in origin, has strong associations with Romani traveling culture in British English.
Romani food traditions — hedgehog stew, stews cooked in cast iron pots over open fires — have influenced the English vocabulary of outdoor cooking and camping. Terms associated with "glamping" and outdoor cooking have indirect connections to the romanticized image of Romani traveling life. The concept of vardos (traditional Romani caravans) is used in English heritage and craft contexts.
Cockney Slang and Romani
Cockney rhyming slang and London street language absorbed Romani vocabulary alongside terms from Yiddish, Hindi, Italian, and other languages spoken by London's diverse communities. The East End of London, where Romani communities and other immigrant groups lived in proximity, was a melting pot of linguistic influence. Romani words entered Cockney through this close social contact.
Terms that may have Romani origins in Cockney and London slang include moola (money, possibly from Romani mula), tatty (worn out, possibly from Romani), and various underworld terms. The difficulty of tracing specific Cockney words to Romani versus other sources reflects the multilingual environment in which this slang developed — words often have multiple possible origins.
Polari and Romani
Polari, the secret language used by British gay communities, theatrical performers, and other marginalized groups from the 18th century onward, drew extensively on Romani vocabulary alongside Italian, Yiddish, and other sources. Romani's contribution to Polari reflects the shared outsider status of Romani communities and other marginalized groups who needed coded language for self-protection.
Polari terms with Romani origins include mush (man, face), chavi (child), and various other vocabulary items. As some Polari terms entered mainstream English through the entertainment industry, Romani vocabulary traveled an additional step further into general usage. This chain of transmission — Romani to Polari to entertainment language to standard English — illustrates the complex, multi-stage process through which marginalized-language vocabulary can reach mainstream acceptance.
Cultural Significance
The Romani contribution to English carries a poignant cultural significance. Romani people have faced centuries of persecution, discrimination, and marginalization in Europe, including the Porajmos (the Romani Holocaust) during World War II. Yet their language has quietly enriched English in ways that are both pervasive and largely unrecognized. The very invisibility of Romani loanwords in English — the fact that most speakers do not know that pal or cushy are Romani — is both a testament to successful linguistic integration and a reflection of cultural erasure.
Recognizing the Romani origins of familiar English words can help challenge stereotypes and promote awareness of Romani culture's positive contributions to the societies in which Roma have lived for centuries. These linguistic gifts — words for friendship, comfort, food, and the quirks of human character — represent the best of what cultural contact can produce.
Conclusion
Romani words in English are hidden in plain sight — they are among the most colloquial, most colorful, and most frequently used words in the informal English lexicon. From calling someone your pal to describing a cushy job, from noshing on a snack to calling something bosh, English speakers unknowingly draw on a vocabulary that traveled from India through Persia, Turkey, and the Balkans to reach the streets of London and, from there, the world. These words are a testament to the cultural resilience and linguistic creativity of the Romani people.