Ḍom
/ɖoːm/noun
A member of the Dom ethnic communities of the Middle East and South Asia, traditionally associated in some regions with itinerant or hereditary occupations.
Did you know?The Dom are often discussed alongside the Roma and Lom as related traditionally itinerant communities whose ancestors may have moved westward from the Indian subcontinent, although their precise relationship remains debated.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient India
Sanskrit/Prakrit
ḍomba
“A term associated with a marginalized hereditary community, often linked in historical sources with musicians and performers.”
Medieval South Asia
Indo-Aryan
ḍom
“An ethnonym for communities occupying hereditary occupational roles, varying by region.”
Medieval Period
Arabic/Persian
Dom
“A name used for related communities encountered across the Middle East.”
19th Century
European scholarship
Dom
“An ethnographic designation for Dom communities in the Middle East and South Asia.”
Modern English
English
Dom/Ḍom
“An English ethnonym referring to the Dom people; the diacritic indicates a retroflex consonant in transliteration.”