gypsy

gypsy — noun

1. Someone who belongs to a community whose ancestors came from northern India and

1.名詞B2
釋義

Someone who belongs to a community whose ancestors came from northern India and who share a common cultural and linguistic heritage. People from this community have traditionally traveled between different places rather than living permanently in one location. Most members now live in Europe or the Americas. Many people in this community prefer to be called Roma or Romani.

例句

The gypsy community in this region has passed down its musical traditions for centuries.

collocation: gypsy community

Lukas interviewed several gypsy families for his university research project.

gypsy families — countable noun, plural

同義詞
  • Roma

    The preferred term for the ethnic group as a whole; used as both a singular and plural noun (e.g., 'the Roma people').

  • Romani

    Often used as an adjective (Romani culture, Romani language) or to refer to the people collectively. More precise than 'gypsy'.

文法句型

gypsy + noun (e.g. gypsy community)

the + gypsy + noun (e.g. the gypsy population)

用法筆記

This term was historically the common English name for the Roma people, but many members of the community now consider it inaccurate or offensive. In academic writing and formal contexts, Roma (for the people) and Romani (for the language, culture, or adjective) are the preferred terms. Using gypsy to refer to non-Roma travelers or to the lifestyle of moving from place to place is widely considered disrespectful.

常見錯誤

❌I met a gypsy on the street who was selling handmade jewelry.
✅I met a Romani craftsman at the market.
💡Referring to a specific person as 'a gypsy' can feel reductive or stereotyping; use Roma or Romani when referring to an individual from this community.
❌We lived like gypsies, moving to a new city every year.
✅We lived a nomadic lifestyle, moving to a new city every year.
💡Using 'gypsy' to describe a non-Roma person's traveling habits is offensive to the Roma community.