Tsigane
/tsiˈɡan/noun
A Romani person; especially a member of a traditionally nomadic ethnic group originating in South Asia.
Did you know?French tsigane and related forms spread through Europe as an exonym for Romani people, ultimately tied to Byzantine Greek athinganos, a word for a religious group once associated with being “untouchable” or “unapproachable.”
Etymological Timeline
Byzantine Greek
Greek
athinganos
““untouchable,” originally the name of a sect”
Middle Greek
Greek
atsínganos
“a name applied to a group perceived as separate or untouchable”
Medieval Latin
Latin
cinganus / zinganus
“a term used in Europe for Romani people”
Old French
Old French
tsigane
“a Romani person”
Modern English
English
tsigane
“a Romani person; a Romani-style piece or characterization”