Cigano
/siˈɡa.nu/noun
A Romani person; in some languages, a word historically used for a Gypsy, often now considered offensive.
Did you know?Cigano comes through Romance languages from a medieval Greek term for the Romani, and the word’s history shows how language can preserve both identity and prejudice.
Etymological Timeline
Greek medieval period
Grk
athinganoi
“A name for a sect in Byzantium, later wrongly attached to the Romani people”
Middle Ages
Greek
tsinganoi
“A later Greek form used for Romani people”
Medieval Latin
Latin
cingani
“A borrowed form referring to Romani groups”
14th-15th Century
Italian/Portuguese/Spanish
cigano
“A term for a Romani person”
Modern English
English
cigano
“A borrowed or foreign-language term referring to a Romani person”
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