Difference between Gypsy and Roma

What is the difference between Gypsy and Roma?

Gypsy as a noun is an itinerant person or any person or group with qualities traditionally ascribed to romani people, including suspected of making a living from dishonest practices or theft etc. while Roma as a noun is a subgroup of the romani people (believed to have originated in india), found primary in eastern europe; also known as gypsies.

Gypsy

Part of speech: adjective

Definition: Of or having the qualities of an itinerant person or group with qualities traditionally ascribed to Romani people, including suspected of making a living from dishonest practices or theft etc. Gypsy, of or belonging to the Romani. This term is considered pejorative by many. Of or belonging to the Gypsy race (Webster).

Part of speech: noun

Definition: An itinerant person or any person or group with qualities traditionally ascribed to Romani people, including suspected of making a living from dishonest practices or theft etc. Gypsy, a member of the Romani people, or one of its sub-groups (Roma, Sinti, Romanichel, etc), traditionally thought to have originally from India and entered Europe in 14th or 15th century, etc. Cf. Bohemian, Romany, traveller. One of a vagabond race, not necessarily Romani

Example sentence: I've always been a bit of a gypsy.

Roma

Part of speech: proper noun

Definition: A subgroup of the Romani people (believed to have originated in India), found primary in Eastern Europe; also known as Gypsies.An Austronesian language of Indonesia.A variety of tomato.A city in Texas on the Rio Grande, pop. (2000) 9,617 (see Roma, Texas in Wikipedia)used in the Anglo-Saxon world, associated with the Latin or Italian name of Rome.

We hope you now know whether to use Gypsy or Roma in your sentence.

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