Gadscho (Gadžo) / Das / Gor

Data » Ethnology and Groups » General Topics » Gadscho (Gadžo) / Das /
Gor
Gadscho (Gadžo) / Das / Gor
http://romani.uni-graz.at/rombase
Mozes F. Heinschink / Michael Teichmann
Terminology
Gadscho (in Vlach dialects: Gadžo or Gažo), Das and Gor are the most common denominations for
non-Roma and form pairs of opposites with → Rom / om
/ L(l)om.
It is assumed that Gadžo derives from the old-Indian gārhya ("domestic") and means, besides non-Rom,
also farmer, villager, head of the house and husband. It is the most used term and known also by many
non-Roma. Das (in particular Balkan group [→ Classification]) derives from the old-Indian Dāsa
(slave) and corresponds to the Hindi denomination Dās. Gor is used in some Romani variants of the
central group (e.g.: Vend Roma).
Besides these main forms there are a number of further synonyms with regional meanings. The Bosnian
Gurbet and the Sepečides who principally live in Turkey, for example, know the term Gomi. The Sinti
and the Finnish Mustalainan also name the non-Roma haxo, which means something similar to
"mentally limited". Also the Sepečides know the term haxo(s) and attribute to it the same meaning,
but do not use it for non-Roma.
Except for some few exceptions, the religion, the nationality and the ethnic affiliation of the non-Roma
is not reflected in the denominations. It can be assumed that due to their similar history of persecution
the Jewish population is not assigned to the pejorative category Gadžo, Das or Gor. Židovo, Džido,
Dschido or Čifuti ("circumcised people") are the most commonly used denominations for a Jew. In
some Muslim Balkan groups it is also usual to distinguish between Gadžo and Das. In the context of
Kosovo groups Gadžo is used for Albanians and other non-Roma whereas Das means Serbian. The
Sepečides name the Greek Balamno, the Turk Xoraxaj, all other non-Roma Gadže or Gomi. For →
Vlach groups like the Lovara and the Kalderaš Xoraxaj means Turk or Muslim. [→ Index]
Socio-cultural background information
As has already been mentioned all denominations for non-Roma include a pejorative component. This
is indicated by the commonly used idiomatic expressions of the Sepečides:
Katar ko gadžo dovruzluki na n'avela.
"A Gadžo never says something true."
O gadžo xala les ki koč.
"The Gadžo eats it (the bread) kneeling." (Note: "To eat the bread on one’s knees" means to
misuse the confidence of a friend, "to be dishonourable like a cat that carries its food to a hidden
place.")
This strict polarisation into "us" and the "others" is primarily linked to the history of persecution of
the Roma, but also corresponds to their dualistic philosophy of life to split all things into pairs of
opposites (→ devel - → beng / → mahrime - → žužo etc.). The ethnic identity of the Roma is based
on this differentiation. A number of taboos and norms separates the different social and cultural fields
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Data » Ethnology and Groups » General Topics » Gadscho (Gadžo) / Das /
Gor
http://romani.uni-graz.at/rombase
from each other and protects the fields from being invaded. If one takes a look at the Roma’s history
it does not surprise that these borders have become insuperable in the course of the time.
The borders, however, have become insuperable only towards one direction: a Gadžo can never become
a "real" Rom. A non-Rom who speaks Romani and who follows the traditions, who has been accepted
within the society and according to his understanding thinks of himself as a Rom, is considered a Rom
to a lower extent than an assimilated Rom who does not speak Romani. To be a Rom is classified as
right of birth, to become a Gadžo on the other hand can be learnt. Due to this pejorative meaning of
the term Gadžo the Roma, when talking to Romani-competent non-Roma use the neutral term Manusch
(person), when talking about non-Roma and in particular when talking about the husband or the wife
of the opposite.
The mostly negative image of the non-Roma is expressed in a very clear way, especially in literature
and within the oral narrative tradition of the Roma. It is a mistrusting, mocking or a despicable and
partly contemptuous view on the non-Roma. At the same time solidarity with those groups that are
living in similarly difficult conditions and have had similar experiences with the majority population
(e.g. the Jews) is expressed. The values of the non-Roma are mainly referred to as always recurring
accusations that are expressed in all literary genres. According to these accusations the non-Roma
would only care for accumulating possession and for getting always richer and richer and they would
consciously accept a "mental impoverishment". In the opinion of the Roma, this kind of "blinkered
thinking" hinders their view on the essential. If the non-Roma express their interest in the Roma such
a behaviour is mostly considered hypocritical and exclusively oriented towards their personal
advantages. The narrow-minded, unworldly and basically dull Gadžo is confronted with the intelligent,
nature-related and true-to-life Rom. In many Roma tails the hero makes use of this naivety of the
non-Roma, which is considered as caused by themselves, and demonstrates his superiority in a mocking
way.
The Belgian non-Rom, Jan Yoors, who grew up in the Lovara community, points out that the knowledge
about the prejudices of the non-Roma has been used as method to cheat the non-Roma. He relates a
story that happened when women entered a shop, consciously scratching their body and immediately
afterwards touching the food, so that the owner of the shop preferred to give the food to the women.
The shop-owner’s fear of infectious illness was stronger than his business interests.
Sources
Heinschink, Mozes F. (2002) Unpublished interview with Dragan Jevremović (Kalderaš).
Wien.
Heinschink, Mozes F. (2002) Unpublished interview with Fatma Heinschink (Sepečides).
Wien.
Phonogrammarchiv, Austrian Academy of Sciences: Heinschink Collection: RT 379 (Sepečides)
.
References
Cech, Petra / Fennesz-Juhasz, Christiane / Halwachs, Dieter W. / Heinschink, Mozes F. (eds.)
(2001) Fern von uns im Traum ... / Te na dikhas sunende ... Märchen, Erzählungen und Lieder
der Lovara, Klagenfurt.
Eder-Jordan, Beate (1993) Geboren bin ich vor Jahrtausenden. Bilderwelten in der Literatur
der Roma und Sinti (= Dissertationen und Abhandlungen 32), Klagenfurt.
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Data » Ethnology and Groups » General Topics » Gadscho (Gadžo) / Das /
Gor
http://romani.uni-graz.at/rombase
Eder-Jordan, Beate (1998) "Die Frau war Mann und Frau". Zur Stellung der Frau bei Sinti
und Roma. Gespräch über ein tabuisiertes Thema Stimme. Zeitschrift von und für Minderheiten
28/3, pp. 12-15.
Ficowski, Jerzy (1992) Wieviel Trauer und Wege. Zigeuner in Polen (= Studien zur
Tsiganologie und Folkloristik 7), Frankfurt.
Fonseca, Isabell (1996) Begrabt mich aufrecht. Auf den Spuren der Zigeuner, München.
Fraser, Angus (1992) The Gypsies. Oxford.
Stojka, Ceija (1988) Reisende auf dieser Welt. Aus dem Leben einer Rom-Zigeunerin, Wien.
Stojka, Ceija (1992) Wir leben im Verborgenen. Erinnerungen einer Rom-Zigeunerin, Wien.
Stojka, Karl (1994) Auf der ganzen Welt zuhause. Das Leben und Wandern des Zigeuners
Karl Stojka, Wien.
Stojka, Mongo (2000) Papierene Kinder. Glück, Zerstörung und Neubeginn einer Roma-Familie
in Österreich, Wien.
Vossen, Rüdiger (1983) Zigeuner. Roma, Sinti, Gitanos, Gypsies zwischen Verfolgung und
Romantisierung, Hamburg.
Yoors, Jan (1982) Die Zigeuner. Frankfurt.
Mozes F. Heinschink / Michael Teichmann
January 2003 / Graz / Wien, Austria
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