LWM 108: Kalderaš Romani

Kalderaš Romani

Astrid Sabaini / Mozes F. Heinschink / Dieter W. Halwachs
University of Graz

Kalderaš Romani is one of the most prominent Romani varieties: Most probably it is the geographically most widespread variety, spoken all over Europe, in the Americas, in Australia, etc. Furthermore, due to the strong commitment of Kalderaš Roma in the ongoing emancipation process, it plays an important role as the basis of a developing international Romani variety used in formal domains on the international level. Kalderaš Romani is assigned to the northern sub-branch of the Vlax group of Romani, which subsumes varieties strongly influenced by Romanian; an influence which results from the long period of time Kalderaš Roma suffered in bondage and slavery in Wallachia ("Vlax") and Moldavia – from their arrival in these regions in the 14th century until the second half of the 19th century.

Kalderaš Romani is probably the best documented Romani variety so far: grammars and dictionaries on dialects spoken in Columbia, France, Poland, Romania, Russia, Sweden, etc. published during the last 50 years show both the variation and homogeneity of this widespread variety. The present description concentrates on the Serbian dialect of Kalderaš Romani, which spread all over Europe during the second half of the 20th century – in the course of the working migration from the 1960s onwards and as a result of the recent developments in the western Balkans. The grammar sketch provides an overview of Kalderaš Romani, describing both the core features of this variety as well as special features of the Serbian variety used in the greater Vienna area.

ISBN 9783895860195. Languages of the World/Materials 108. 66pp. EUR 50.80. 2015.