Reply #19: Cher's an Armenian. I believe there are ties between the Armenians and [View All]

the Romani.

http://www.imninalu.net/Gypsies.htm

· Armenian Lom

Armenian Roma call themselves “Lom”, and are the only non-European Gypsies that may be regarded as authentic Roma (except of course Gypsies in the American Continent, Israel, Australia and all other groups that are originated from European Roma). Their presence in the historic lands of Armenia, which were extended over a much larger territory than the present-day Republic of Armenia and included most of Eastern Anatolia, dates back to at least the 7th century c.e. In fact, there are several Armenian terms in Romany language, as Roma sojourned for a long time in the Armenian realm before having been pushed into Europe, probably by the Seldjuk invasions, in the 11th century c.e. However, the Lom have evolved in an independent way, as by paradox, the Lomavren, that is the Romany dialect they speak, even though plenty of Armenian loanwords, shares very few terms of Armenian etymology with the European Romany. Consequently, the Lom may descend mainly from a second immigration wave, that may have taken place contemporarily with the Roma's arrival in Russia through the Caucasus and in the Byzantine Europe through the Bosphorus.

The Lom have been strongly Armenized, notwithstanding, they have kept their Gypsy identity and perform the traditional Romany professions and practises, except fortune-telling. They belong to the Armenian Christianity and are present in Armenia, Georgia, Russia and Israel. They are no longer endogamous, and intermarriage with Armenians or Assyrians are common. They are well identified with the Armenian culture, and several Lom have been important personalities in Armenian history (an example here).