Zigeuner
/ˈtsiːɡɔʏ̯nɐ/noun
A German term for a Romani person; historically used as an exonym and often considered offensive.
Did you know?Despite old folklore claims, its origin is not magical or occult: German Zigeuner is an exonym historically linked to Greek Atsínganoi, the name of a group associated in medieval sources with Roma.
Etymological Timeline
Late Greek Antiquity
Greek
atsínganoi
“A name for a group thought to be socially separate or untouchable; later attached to Roma in medieval usage.”
Middle Ages
Byzantine Greek
atsínganoi / tsínganoi
“A label used for Roma-like groups, probably from earlier Greek usage for a sect or outcast group.”
14th-15th Century
German
Zigeuner
“An exonym for Romani people, entering German through Central European contact and medieval naming traditions.”
Modern English
English
gypsy
“A historical English term for Romani people, now often offensive or avoided in formal contexts.”
Modern German
German
Zigeuner
“A historical term for Romani people, still encountered in compounds and older usage, but widely recognized as potentially pejorative.”
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