Roma in Armenia

The Roma people (or "Gypsies") of the modern Republic of Armenia are one of the many minorities living within the country.

Overview

While only making up a tiny fraction of the nation today, the Rom have a long history in Armenia and the surrounding region, and several modern Romani words, [http://www.imninalu.net/Gypsies.htm#Lomavren Roma and Gypsies ] ] are thought to have been loaned from the Armenian language when the Rom migrated through the region. Most Armenian Roma are members of the Anatolian Bosha (or "Lom") clan, a group that speaks the Lomavren and is sometimes referred to as the "Armenian Gypsies" [http://www.romnews.com/community/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=880 :: RomNews Network Community @ RomNews.com/de :: Best source on Roma / Gypsies on the Internet ] ] . They are generally practitioners of Armenian Apostolic Christianity and are sometimes considered the only distinct Romani group outside contiguous Europe.

The Roma first encountered by Armenians migrating west in the 11th century, and those who have settled in Armenian communities were largely assimilated by the 16th century. The modern dialect of the Armenian Bosha is almost extinct, spoken today only as slang. Armenian Rom are almost entirely sedentary. The number of Bosha in Armenia is difficult to estimate, as most would identify themselves as Armenians, but according to Government census at least 50 Bosha dwelling within the country. [ [http://www.tacentral.com/people.asp POPULATION AND PEOPLE | People | Armenia Travel, History, Archeology & Ecology | TourArmenia | Travel Guide to Armenia ] ]

References

See also

* Bosha
* Roma in Turkey
* Lomavren language