Travelling Communities - Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller

Term	Contextual note	Time/Region	References
An Lucht Siúil	Term for Irish Travellers, meaning “walking people”	Ireland	Travellers Times – Roads From the Past [1]
bargee/s barge travellers liveaboard boaters	Terms used to refer to people who for cultural or financial reasons live full time aboard boats on inland and coastal waterways. Barge Travellers are similar to New Travellers but live on the UK’s 2,200 miles of canals. They form a distinct group in the canal network and many are former “new” Travellers who moved onto the canals after changes to the law made the free festival circuit and a life on the road almost untenable.	UK	Traveller Movement [2] Surrey Heritage - Tracing Gypsy Romany and Traveller Ancestors at Surrey History Centre [3] Citizens advice – Gypsies and Travellers race discrimination [4] Crystal’s Vardo – Teaching materials and information [5]
Bohemian/s
chav/s	An insulting and classist term sometimes applied to the less “socially acceptable” Travellers, but non-Travellers too. Possibly derived from Romani “chavo”.		Robert Dawson
Cultural Traveller/s
drifter/s bag lady/ies Bedouin bird of passage derelict derro displaced person dosser emigrant exile gadabout homeless incomer In-migrant Itinerant knight of the road knockabout maunderer migrator mover nomad out-migrant overlander person of no fixed abode rambler refugee roamer rolling stone rover settler stroller transient wanderer wayfarer	Terms for a person who moves from place to place for work
Egyptian/s	The first reference to Gypsies in England occurs in 1514. It was believed they came from Egypt so they were first called “Egyptians”, from which the term “Gypsy” derives.	UK, 1514-	Surrey Heritage - Tracing Gypsy Romany and Traveller Ancestors at Surrey History Centre [6]
Egyptians Act	In England, the 1530 Egyptians Act aimed at ridding England of the Gypsy Romany and Traveller people – it was passed by Henry VIII and forbade Gypsies to enter the realm and made them leave within 16 days. In 1594, 9 Gypsies were hanged in New York just for being Gypsies.	USA, UK, 16th century
English Gypsies Romanichals
Ethnic Travellers	The traditional groups include the UK Irish Travellers, Scots Travellers (Nachins), Welsh Gypsies (Kale) and English Gypsies (Romanichals). Other Traveller groups are known as “cultural Travellers”.	UK	The Traveller Movement – About Us [7]
French Manush Gypsies	French Manush Gypsies have a similar cultural and heritage to Romani Gypsies	France	Surrey Heritage - Tracing Gypsy Romany and Traveller Ancestors at Surrey History Centre [8]
Gitano
GRT Gypsy, Roma, Traveller	The term GRT is controversial - not everybody agrees it should be used.		Travellers Times – Roads from the Past [9]
gypsy gypsie/s gipsy gipsie/s	Deriving from the historic term “Egyptians” used to describe the Roma people in the UK. Generally used to refer to a member of the travelling or itinerant people, specifically Roma people, for whom this term is offensive. Welsh Gypsies share the same heritage as English Gypsies, but Scottish and Irish Gypsies and Irish Travellers are all distinct ethnic groups; the latter are often referred to in parish registers as “Pavees” or “Minceir”. Occasionally, the term has been used in the past to refer to Egyptian people.	UK	Surrey Heritage - Tracing Gypsy Romany and Traveller Ancestors at Surrey History Centre [10]
gyppo gippo gypo gyppie gyppy gipp	Discriminatory slang playing on the word “Gypsy”.		Wikipedia – List of ethnic slurs Tropenmuseum – Words Matter
horse dealers basket makers beehive makers knife grinders tin smith tinkers peg makers blacksmiths entertainers
Irish Travellers Rilantu Mincéirí Minciers Mincéirí	Irish Travellers are a separate and distinct ethnic group who came from Ireland. An Irish Traveller presence can be traced back to the 12th century in Ireland. They share some of the same cultural values as Romani Gypsies, such as a preference for self-employment and living and traveling in caravans or “trailers”, but there are also big differences. For example most Irish Travellers are Catholic and their language – Cant (or Gammon or Shelta) – is not related at all to Romani. The Irish Traveller community is categorised as an ethnic minority group under the Race Relations Act 1976 (amended 2000); the Human Rights Act 1998; and the Equalities Act 2010. Some Travellers of Irish heritage identify as Pavee or Minceir.	Ireland, 12th century-, UK	Travellers Times – Online FAQ Pack [11] Traveller Movement [12] Wikipedia - Irish Travellers [13]
Kalderash	The Kalderash are a subgroup of the Romani people. They were traditionally smiths and metal workers and speak a number of Romani dialects grouped together under the term Kalderash Romani, a sub-group of Vlax Romani.		Surrey Heritage - Tracing Gypsy Romany and Traveller Ancestors at Surrey History Centre [14] Wikipedia - Kalderash [15]
Kale/s Welsh Traveller/s	The Kale (also Kalá, Valshanange; Welsh: Roma yng Nghymru) are a group of Romani people in Wales. Many claim to be descendants of Abram Wood, who was the first Rom to reside permanently and exclusively in Wales in the early 18th century, though Romanichal Travellers have appeared in Wales since the 16th century.	Wales	Gypsies Travellers Wales [16] Wikipedia – Kale (Welsh Roma) [17]
knacker	Refers to Irish Travellers		Wikipedia – List of ethnic slurs [18]
living in tent	Phrase used in historic records to describe Travellers		Surrey Heritage - Tracing Gypsy Romany and Traveller Ancestors at Surrey History Centre [19]
lords of the heath	Romanticised term for Travellers used by Victorian artists		Travellers Times – Online FAQ Pack [20]
Mary Squires	The trial of Mary Squires took place in 1753 – an elderly Gypsy woman who was wrongfully accused on kidnapping and theft. Epithet often “a gypsy renowned for her ugliness”	Women’s history
Matty Cooper	Matty Cooper was a Gypsy man who was hired as the royal rat catcher under Queen Victoria in 1836
Nawkin/s Nachin/s Scots Traveller/s Scottish Traveller/s	Terms for Scottish Travellers. Historically speak the Beurlaregaird language. In Scotland today, Travellers and Gypsies speak Scots, Cant, Romany, Scots Gaelic, Irish Gaelic, Shelta (the language of Irish Travellers) and Beurla Reagaird. Several Scots Travellers asked Robert Dawson to use the word “Nawkin” about them but one Traveller was quite offended and said it was a “secret” word which the community used internally. Suggests usage is controversial therefore. Derives from a Cant phrase meaning “house-less”.	Scotland	Travellers Times – Roads From the Past [21]
New Traveller New Age Traveller	The term New Travellers refers to people sometimes referred to as “New Age Travellers”. They are generally people who have taken to life on the road in their own lifetime, though some New Traveller families claim to have been on the road for 3 consecutive generations. The New Traveller culture grew out of the hippie movements and free-festival movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Because of this New Traveller vehicles are generally more colourful and self-built than other Travellers.		The Bottle Imp – The Dictionaries of the Languages of Scottish Travellers [22] Robert Dawson
non-ethnic travellers	There are other groups and individuals who call themselves Travellers who are not ethnically Roma, Romani Gyspy, or Irish Travellers. They may be individuals who have chosen or been forced into a life on the road. Or they may be part of larger cultural groups, who aren’t part of an ethnic minority but who do share a common culture.		Travellers Times – Online FAQ Pack [23]
pavee	The word most often used by Irish Travellers about themselves. Said to derive from “pavement” (walkers).	Ireland	Robert Dawson
pikey/s piky/s piker/s	Discriminatory and classist term used to describe Irish Travellers, Romani people, and other  lower-class people. Derived from the Pike Romani family who were allegedly not very acceptable therefore insulting. Historically (no longer) the names “Faw” and “Boswell” were used in similar ways. The latter created the Anglo phrase “Black as a Boz’ll”.		Wikipedia – List of ethnic slurs [24] Robert Dawson
Pogaddi Jib	Now obsolete name for the Romani dialect spoken in Britain, or broken language because it largely consists of Romani verbs and nouns but uses many English words		Travellers Times – Online FAQ Pack [25] Robert Dawson
Porajmos The Porajmos	The name for the genocide of Roma and Sinti communities during the Nazi regime	Holocaust, WWII	Friend, Families and Travellers - Celebrating Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month 2020 [26]
Roma	Roma people are descended from the same people as British Romani Gypsies and have moved to the UK more recently from Central and Eastern Europe. In the last two decades a sizeable number of Roma - Romani people from continental Europe - have settled in Britain, perhaps 250,000 in all. They share cultural and linguistic heritage with Britain's long-established Romani Gypsy community and keep to many of the same rules and taboos on things like cleanliness and social behaviour. However, it is very rare for them to live in mobile accommodation as their families generally stopped living nomadic lives generations ago		Surrey Heritage - Tracing Gypsy Romany and Traveller Ancestors at Surrey History Centre [27] Travellers Times – Roads From the Past [28] Crystal’s Vardo – Teaching materials and information [29]
Romani Gypsies Romany Romani	Romani Gypsies have been in Britain since at least 1515 after migrating from continental Europe. The term Gypsy is a corruption of “Egyptian” which is what the settled population perceived them to be because of their dark complexion. In reality, linguistic analysis of the Romani language, proves that Romani Gypsies have come from India. The term comes from the old word ’rom’ meaning ‘man’ or ‘husband’, it is not related to Rome or Romania. A Roma group arrived in Scotland in the late 1400s and were received by James IV. They spoke the Indian language Romani. Romani Gypsies were recognised as a distinct ethnic group in 1976.		Travellers Times – Online FAQ Pack [30] Crystal’s Vardo – Teaching materials and information [31]
Scottish Cant Scottish Romani Scots-Romani Scotch Romani Scotch-Romani	A cant spoken in Scotland by Lowlan Scottish Romani Travellers/Gypsies. A ‘cant’ is the jargon or language of a group, often employed to exclude or mislead people outside the group.	Scotland	Wikipedia – Scottish Cant [32]
Shelta	Irish term for Travellers. Also a language spoken by Rilantu Mincéirí (Irish Travellers). Widely known as ‘the Cant’. Also known as De Gammon.		Wikipedia – List of ethnic slurs [33]
show people showmen fair people fairground folk stallholder amusement caterer roundabout proprietor hawker pedlar circus people	These are a distinctive group often not viewed as part of the Travelling community. A fairground worker, or showman, might be recorded as a stallholder, amusement caterer, roundabout proprietor or hawker. Showmen are a cultural minority that have owned and operated funfairs and circuses for many generations. Though culturally similar to Romani Gypsies (some Showmen are of Romani descent) their identity is connected to their family businesses. They operate rides and attractions that can be seen throughout the summer months at fun fairs. They generally have winter quarters where the family settles to repair the machinery that they operate and prepare for the next travelling season. The National Fairground Archive (NFA) suggests that a show family in the early 1900s is most likely to be still associated with the fairground today. Family history in this regard is simple - the child is born into the fair and marries within the fair.		Surrey Heritage - Tracing Gypsy Romany and Traveller Ancestors at Surrey History Centre [34] Romany & Traveller Family History Society [35] Citizens advice – Gypsies and Travellers race discrimination Travellers Times – Online FAQ Pack [36]
Sinti Sinta Sinte Sintesa	The Sinti are a subgroup of Romani people, most of whom reside in Germany and Central Europe		Surrey Heritage - Tracing Gypsy Romany and Traveller Ancestors at Surrey History Centre [37]
sojourner			Surrey Heritage - Tracing Gypsy Romany and Traveller Ancestors at Surrey History Centre [38]
stroller			Surrey Heritage - Tracing Gypsy Romany and Traveller Ancestors at Surrey History Centre [39]
The Cant	Term used to refer to both Irish Travellers (Pavees and Minceirs) and Scottish Travellers (Nawkin). Cant is also the name of a language spoken by Irish Travellers	Scotland, Ireland
The Highway Acts	The Highways Acts were Introduced in 1822 and 1853. They fined Gypsies who were camping on the roadside		Crystal’s Vardo – Teaching materials and information [40]
tinker/s tynekere/s tinkere/s tynkare tynker/s tinker/s tinkar/s tyncar/s tinkard/s tynkard/s	Used in Britain and Ireland to reference lower-class people. Used in Scotland and Ireland to reference Romani people. Also used in Scotland to refer to native Scottish people.	England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland
Traveller/s Traveler/s Trav/s	Although the safe word, some Romanies take offence stating, ‘We are not Traveller – we are Romani’. This is because of its association with some people who pull illegally somewhere and leave a mess. Travellers can be divided into two groups, Ethnic Travellers such as Romani Gypsies and Irish Travellers and those who live on the road for economic reasons such as New Travellers and Showmen. Ethnic Travellers are people born into traditionally nomadic cultures and have their own specific customs and traditions. They are recognised under the Equality Act 2010.		Crystal’s Vardo – Teaching materials and information [41] Robert Dawson
tramp/s tramper/s			Surrey Heritage - Tracing Gypsy Romany and Traveller Ancestors at Surrey History Centre [42]
True Romanis pure Romani pure bred Romani	The myth of the ‘pure bred’ Romani (or real Gypsy) romanticised by Victorian folklorists is no more than a myth. Romani academics such as Professor Ian Hancock and Doctor Brian Belton have revealed that there never was a race of pure bred, dark-skinned nomads and exposed a far more interesting truth: five hundred years after arriving in Britain, the Romanies of Britain today are much as they always were – a hybrid nation made up of the descendants of original Indian nomads, sturdy beggars, landless poor and the economically displaced		Travellers Times – Online FAQ Pack [43]
vagrant			Surrey Heritage - Tracing Gypsy Romany and Traveller Ancestors at Surrey History Centre [44]
van dweller
vardo	A traditional horse-drawn wagon used by Romani people		Crystal’s Vardo – Teaching materials and information [45]