Previous genetic studies, supported by linguistic and historical data, suggest that the European Roma,
comprising a large number of socially divergent endogamous groups, may be a complex conglomerate of
founder populations. The boundaries and characteristics of such founder populations and their relationship
to the currently existing social stratification of the Roma have not been investigated. This study is an attempt
to address the issues of common vs independent origins and the history of population fissioning in three
Romani groups that are well defined and strictly endogamous relative to each other. According to linguistic
classifications, these groups belong to the Vlax Roma, who account for a large proportion of the European
Romani population. The analysis of mtDNA sequence variation has shown that a large proportion of maternal
lineages are common to the three groups. The study of a set of Y chromosome markers of different mutability
has revealed that over 70% of males belong to a single lineage that appears unique to the Roma and presents
with closely related microsatellite haplotypes and MSY1 codes. The study unambiguously points to the
common origins of the three Vlax groups and the recent nature of the population fissions, and provides
preliminary evidence of limited genetic diversity in this young founder population. European Journal of Human
Genetics (2001) 9, 97 ± 104.
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True Gypsies are robust, healthy, and strong, usually of light build with dark expressive eyes and swarthy complexions ranging from deep brown to olive — although fair skinned Gypsies are not unheard of. When they are young, the men are handsome and the women beautiful, but their rugged and unconventional lifestyle can age them quickly. Gypsies call themselves Rom (Man) in the singular, and Romi or Roma in the plural; everybody else they call Gadje, which means foreigner. Wherever true Gypsies go, they remain a distinct people keeping their own language and customs and maintaining a social distance from the Gadje. The mother tongue of the Rom is known to them Romanes, Romani, or Romani-tchib (tchib means tongue). This language belongs to the Dardic group of the Indo-Iranian languages, that are a subfamily of the Indo-European family.
http://www.passion-music.co.uk/artic...ma_gypsies.htm
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