Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Balkan Romani, Romany, Gypsy, Cigány, Zigeuner, European Romany, Romani, Balkan
CLASSIFICATION		Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central Zone
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		rmn
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Zargari Tinners Romani Tinsmiths Dzambazi Ursári Paspatian Arlija Greek Romani Ironworker Romani East Bulgarian Romani
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

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Information from: “Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 19th Edition (2016)” . Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig · SIL International

At risk

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
611,800
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Total users in all countries: 811,800 (as L1: 611,800; as L2: 200,000).

Serbia: 101,000 (2013 UNSD). 100,000 Arlija, 20,000 Dzambazi.

Bulgaria: 281,000 (2011 census). 100,000 Arlija, 20,000 Dzambazi, 10,000 Tinsmiths, 10,000 East Bulgarian. L2 users: 200,000 in Bulgaria (Gunnemark and Kenrick 1985).

Greece: 40,000 (1996 B. Igla). 10,000 Arlija, 30,000 Greek Romani.

Macedonia: 38,500 (2002 census). Ethnic population: 53,900 (2002 census).

Moldova: 12,000 (Johnstone 1993).

Turkey: 66,000 (2014 J. Leclerc).

PLACES: Serbia, Moldova, Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Turkey

At risk

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
709,570
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
"120,000 in Serbia. 100,000 Arlija, 20,000 Dzambazi."

PLACES: USA; Moldova; Ukraine; Iran; Serbia and Montenegro; France; Germany; Romania; Bulgaria; Hungary; Greece; Italy; Macedonia; Turkey; Albania; Austria; Belarus; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Croatia; Estonia; Finland; Latvia; Lithuania; Netherlands; Poland; United Kingdom; Russia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Switzerland; Czech Republic; Serbia; Montenegro;

Vulnerable

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
1,800 for Ajios Athanasios variety
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Ajios Athanios is a variety of Balkan Romani belonging to the South Balkan I dialect group.

DOMAINS OF USE

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

"The dialect is spoken by all generations of speakers and the transmission to children is the norm... The dialect is used by all speakers in the private domain (basilectal function) and by the older generation and the female speakers in the semi-public domain (mesolectal function), cf. Sechidou (2008)."

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Greek

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

"All speakers are fully bilingual in Romani and Greek... Romani-Greek code-switching is frequent, but Greek is always embedded in a Romani structure"

Scripts (Writing system)

Roman-based

PLACES: Greece

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: "Spoken in a suburb of the city of Serres in Northern Greece... Varieties of the dialect are spoken in villages within the surrounding areas of Serres, as in the community of Anthi."

At risk

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
523,900
Native speakers worldwide

			World Oral Literature Project					http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.		523,900	100000						At risk (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
		2016	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 19th Edition (2016)	Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig	online	SIL International	Dallas, Texas	http://www.ethnologue.com		Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). 2016. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Nineteenth edition (2016). Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com.		611,800	100000	Total users in all countries: 811,800 (as L1: 611,800; as L2: 200,000). Serbia: 101,000 (2013 UNSD). 100,000 Arlija, 20,000 Dzambazi. Bulgaria: 281,000 (2011 census). 100,000 Arlija, 20,000 Dzambazi, 10,000 Tinsmiths, 10,000 East Bulgarian. L2 users: 200,000 in Bulgaria (Gunnemark and Kenrick 1985). Greece: 40,000 (1996 B. Igla). 10,000 Arlija, 30,000 Greek Romani. Macedonia: 38,500 (2002 census). Ethnic population: 53,900 (2002 census). Moldova: 12,000 (Johnstone 1993). Turkey: 66,000 (2014 J. Leclerc).	200,000				At risk (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)				Serbia, Moldova, Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Turkey
3862880311		2011	Balkan Romani: The dialect of Ajios Athanasios/Greece			LINCOM			Irene Sechidou			1,800 for Ajios Athanasios variety	1000-9999	Ajios Athanios is a variety of Balkan Romani belonging to the South Balkan I dialect group.		Greek	"All speakers are fully bilingual in Romani and Greek... Romani-Greek code-switching is frequent, but Greek is always embedded in a Romani structure"	All	Vulnerable (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	10	"The dialect is spoken by all generations of speakers and the transmission to children is the norm... The dialect is used by all speakers in the private domain (basilectal function) and by the older generation and the female speakers in the semi-public domain (mesolectal function), cf. Sechidou (2008)."	12	Greece	"Spoken in a suburb of the city of Serres in Northern Greece... Varieties of the dialect are spoken in villages within the surrounding areas of Serres, as in the community of Anthi."
0199255911		2005	The World Atlas of Language Structures	Bernard Comrie and David Gil and Martin Haspelmath and Matthew S. Dryer		Oxford University Press	New York			2005. "The World Atlas of Language Structures." edited by Bernard Comrie et al. Oxford University Press.															42.6666666667,21.1666666667
	16	2009	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)	M. Paul Lewis		SIL International	Dallas, TX	http://www.ethnologue.com/		Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)	ll_pub	709,570	100000	"120,000 in Serbia. 100,000 Arlija, 20,000 Dzambazi."					At risk (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)				USA; Moldova; Ukraine; Iran; Serbia and Montenegro; France; Germany; Romania; Bulgaria; Hungary; Greece; Italy; Macedonia; Turkey; Albania; Austria; Belarus; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Croatia; Estonia; Finland; Latvia; Lithuania; Netherlands; Poland; United Kingdom; Russia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Switzerland; Czech Republic; Serbia; Montenegro;

Balkan Romani

Language metadata

Language information by source

At risk

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

611,800

At risk

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

709,570

Vulnerable

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1,800 for Ajios Athanasios variety

At risk

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

523,900

Discussion

Balkan Romani

Language metadata

Language information by source

At risk

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

611,800

At risk

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

709,570

Vulnerable

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1,800 for Ajios Athanasios variety

At risk

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

523,900

Discussion

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Sources of information

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