Yaron Matras è un linguista distinto il cui lavoro si addentra profondamente nella lingua e nella cultura romanì. Basandosi su una base di attivismo e diritti civili, la sua carriera accademica include ruoli editoriali significativi, come quello per Romani Studies. Matras ha guidato estesi progetti di ricerca incentrati sulle migrazioni e sulla lingua romanì, contribuendo con numerose pubblicazioni che sottolineano la sua dedizione per tutta la vita. Il suo fluente padroneggiamento della lingua romanì gli consente di cogliere le sottigliezze della sua espressione con notevole intuizione e profondità.
Romani is a language of Indo-Aryan origin which is spoken in Europe by the people known as "Gypsies"--who usually refer to themselves as Rom. There are more than 3.5 million speakers, and their language has attracted increasing interest from scholars as well as language planners in governments and other organizations during the past ten years. This book is the first comprehensive overview in English of Romani, its structure, history, typology and dialects. It will provide an indispensable reference work for all interested in this fascinating language.
Their origins myths place them at the Crucifixion, homeless and fated to wander, with divine permission to steal for survival. In the Middle Ages, they were thought to have emerged from Egypt, yet their language contains Greek elements and traces back to India. The Romani people, one of the last societies in the Western hemisphere with a strictly oral culture, lack a written history. Since the early 1990s, linguist Yaron Matras has engaged with the 'Rom', traveling across central and eastern Europe to study their language and dialects while observing their quest for recognition. In this comprehensive account, Matras explores their culture, language, and history, revealing a rich past reflected in their customs and the impact of Europe’s changing fortunes on their identity. The Romani are unique: without territory, national sovereignty, or formal institutions, and lacking a tradition of land ownership. As the surrounding global society seeks to define itself, the future of the Roms remains uncertain. Unlike other marginalized groups that have gained some inclusion, they continue to struggle for their voice. To ensure their future, it is essential to modernize our understanding of them and move beyond outdated perceptions.
