Borrowed from a South Slavic (a)ciganinŭ (cf. Church Slavonic циганинъ (ciganinŭ)), from early modern Greek τσιγγάνος (tsingános) or ατσίγγανος (atsínganos), variant of Byzantine Greek ἀθίγγανος (athínganos, “untouchable”)[1][2][3](a compound of privative ἀ- (a-) + θιγγάνω (thingánō, “to touch”)), used also as the name of a Christian sect.[4] Compare Russian цыган (cygan), Hungarian cigány and German Zigeuner, which are from the same Greek source (as well as Italian zingaro, French tzigane, ultimately).
țigan m (plural țigani, feminine equivalent țigancă)
The term țigani, an imprecise exonym for several groups, is loaded with negative connotations: historically, it implied the status of a slave ( Chattel Slavery in Romania); today, the Dictionary of Romanian Language defines a fi țigan (literally “to be Gypsy”) as "to be a dark-skinned person" or "to be a person with bad habits".[5][6] Careful speakers therefore refer to the Roma people by their self-designation, romi, or (to prevent confusion with the word român (“Romanian”)) its alternative spelling rromi. However, many Roma people in Romania use the term țigan when referring to themselves.
singular | plural | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
indefinite | definite | indefinite | definite | ||
nominative-accusative | țigan | țiganul | țigani | țiganii | |
genitive-dative | țigan | țiganului | țigani | țiganilor | |
vocative | țiganule | țiganilor |
țigan m or n (feminine singular țigană, masculine plural țigani, feminine and neuter plural țigane)
singular | plural | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
masculine | neuter | feminine | masculine | neuter | feminine | |||
nominative/ accusative |
indefinite | țigan | țigană | țigani | țigane | |||
definite | țiganul | țigana | țiganii | țiganele | ||||
genitive/ dative |
indefinite | țigan | țigane | țigani | țigane | |||
definite | țiganului | țiganei | țiganelor | țiganilor |