țigan

See also: tigan

Romanian

Etymology

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”)(a compound of privative ἀ- (a-) + θιγγάνω (thingánō, “to touch”)), used also as the name of a Christian sect. Compare Russian цыган (cygan), Hungarian cigány and German Zigeuner, which are from the same Greek source (as well as Italian zingaro, French tzigane, ultimately).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡siˈɡan/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

țigan m (plural țigani, feminine equivalent țigancă)

1. (now sometimes offensive) Gypsy

Usage notes

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". 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.

Declension

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	țigan	țiganul		țigani	țiganii
genitive-dative	țigan	țiganului		țigani	țiganilor
vocative	țiganule			țiganilor

Adjective

țigan m or n (feminine singular țigană, masculine plural țigani, feminine and neuter plural țigane)

1. (sometimes offensive, ethnonym) Gypsy

Declension

		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

Derived terms

• țigănaș
• țigănesc
• țigănește
• țigăni
• țigănie
• țigănime
• țigănuș