Gypsy

The Romani, also spelled Romany or Rromani ROH-mə-nee or ROM-ə-nee), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group who traditionally led a nomadic, itinerant lifestyle. Linguistic and genetic evidence suggests that the Romani originated in the northern regions of South Asia, in particular the regions of present-day Punjab, Sindh and Rajasthan, spread across present-day northwestern India and Pakistan. Their subsequent westward migration, possibly in waves, is now believed by historians to have occurred around 1000 CE. Their original name, derived from the Sanskrit डोम, may refer to the Doma (caste), a Dalit sub-group traditionally associated with musicians and dancers. The Romani population moved west into the Ghaznavid Empire and later into the Byzantine Empire. The Romani arrived in Europe around the 13th to 14th century, via the Balkans. Although they are dispersed, their most concentrated populations are in Europe, especially central, eastern, and southern Europe, as well as western Asia.