Rom (gypsy)
A Rom is a member of the group of people called Roma. The Roma are w&ering people who originally came from northern India. Today many Roma live in Europe, especially the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia & Montenegro, Bulgaria, & Romania. Between 2 million & 5 million Roma live throughout the world. Roma are also known as Gypsies.
The Rom language is called Romany. Romany is based on Sanskrit, the ancient language of India. Roma also usually speak the main language of the country in which they live.
Not all Roma are nomads, or w&erers. Some have settled in cities & blended in with the population. The Roma who are nomads travel together in small b&s. Some travel by car & sleep in tents or trailers at night. A few still travel & live in caravans, or horse-drawn wagons. Sometimes traveling Roma live for a while in houses, apartments, & even empty stores.
Nomadic Roma usually hold jobs that fit in with their w&ering lifestyle. Some modern Roma make money by fortune-telling, playing music, or selling used cars & trailers. In the past Roma sold livestock & helped farmers with animal care. They also repaired pots, pans, & other metal products.
Roma first traveled beyond northern India in about the year 1000. They moved into Persia (Iran) & Armenia. They reached eastern Europe by the 1300s & western Europe by the 1400s. By the second half of the 1900s Roma had spread to North America, South America, & Australia. Many countries have tried to make Roma stop w&ering & settle down.
