Izvorni znanstveni članak
https://doi.org/10.11567/met.2025.5
Ḍom(b)a – Dobošari – Romanies Migrations of Indian Musician Castes to the West
Nikola Rašić
orcid.org/0009-0005-2076-5849
; Sveučilište u Zadru, doktorski studij iz područja lingvistike
*
* Dopisni autor.
Sažetak
The paper deals with the Indian etymology of the name for the Roma (Rroma, Romanies,
Gypsies). It is generally known that the Roma are originally from India and
migrated to Europe about 1,000 years ago. Although the Roma are constantly undergoing
linguistic assimilation and losing their Indian language, it is still spoken
by large populations, especially in Eastern and Southeastern Europe. This language
is the only old Indo-Aryan language present in Europe and differs from all known
languages of the Indian subcontinent.The name Rroma originates from the Indian word ḍom(b)a, which denotes a lowstatus
caste (jat?) composed of nomadic or semi-nomadic musicians and dancers.
Members of this group also engage in various other low-value occupations, such
as scavenging, undertaking, cremation and similar tasks. Women, in particular, are
often involved in dancing and singing, divination, and fortune-telling.
Similar Gypsi-like groups with closely related names can be found elsewhere in
Asia. These include the Ḍumaki in Pakistan (blacksmiths and musicians), the Lomari
in Armenia, Turkey and neighbouring countries in the Middle East (Caucasian
Roma), and the Domari in Palestine and surrounding countries in the Middle East
and Central Asia. Comparable groups also exist in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan
and elsewhere in the region. While these communities are Indian in terms
of language and origin, they do not use the Romani name or derivatives of ḍom(b)-.
The word ḍom(b)a itself is not Indo-Aryan but originates from a language belonging
to the Mundic group. In Munda, the term simply means “drum, tympanum” and
refers to the main instrument used by Roma musicians.
The paper further discusses the relationship between language, religion and caste in
India. A related term, Pārya, originates from the Dravidian word for drum (cf. Tamil
paṛai “drum”), and is associated with a similarly low caste status. Pārya also denotes
a Gypsi-like group in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan that speaks a Rajasthani idiom.
The Roma are, therefore, ḍom(b)a – “drummers”. From this Munda loanword, a
whole family of words for various types of drums, tympanums, and tambourines
developed in Indo-Aryan languages, including Hungarian and Romanian, as well as
Croatian and Serbian dob(oš). The root dob- in Croatian is quite obscure and appears
primarily in the word dobovati (which describes the sound of pouring rain, resembling
the rhythmic beating on the skin of a taut drum). Its near-synonym rominjati
(referring to drizzling – rain that falls slowly yet steadily, with accompanying sound)
remains a puzzle, unexplained by etymological dictionaries. It may be a remnant
from ancient linguistic times that preserved both the forms dom and rom in their
original, drumming-related meaning.
The paper thus explains the origin of the ethnic name Roma (drummers of non-Aryan
origin) while also shedding light on two obscure Croatian words related to drumming.
Ključne riječi
Dom caste; Romanies; Gypsies; Domari; Lomari; Lomavren; Dumaki; Indo-Aryan languages; Jats; Romani language; history of the Roma; ethnonyms; caste names; drummers; Parya; millet system; language community
Hrčak ID:
331743
URI
Datum izdavanja:
4.6.2025.
Posjeta: 0 *