Romanichal

Romanichals (UKˈrɒmənɪtʃæl US-ni-; more commonly known as English Gypsies) are a Romani subgroup within the United Kingdom and other parts of the English-speaking world. There are an estimated 500,000 Romani in the United Kingdom; almost all live in England. Most Romanichal speak Angloromani, a mixed language that blends Romani vocabulary with English syntax. The word "Romanichal" is derived from Romani chal, where chal is Angloromani for "fellow". Nearly all Romanichals in Britain live in England, with smaller communities in South Wales, Northeast Wales, and the Scottish Borders. The Romanichal diaspora emigrated from Great Britain to other parts of the English-speaking world. Based on some estimates, there are now more people of Romanichal descent in the United States than in Britain. In Great Britain, there is a sharp north–south divide between Romanichals. Southern Romanichals live in the Southeast, Southwest, Midlands, East Anglia, and South Wales; Northern Romanichal Travellers live in the Northwest, Yorkshire, Scottish Borders, and Northeast of Wales. The two groups' dialects differ in accent and vocabulary. Angloromani language The Romani people in England are thought to have spoken the Romani language until the 19th century, when it was replaced by English and Angloromani, a creole language that combines the syntax and grammar of English with the Romani lexicon. Most Romanichals also speak English. There are two dialects of Angloromani: Southern Angloromani (spoken in the Southeast, Southwest, Midlands, East Anglia, and South Wales) and Northern Angloromani (spoken in the Northeast, Northwest, Yorkshire, Scottish Borders, and Northeast of Wales). These two dialects, along with the accents that accompany them, have led to two regional Romanichal identities forming, these being the Southern Romanichal identity and the Northern Romanichal Traveller identity. Many Angloromani words have been incorporated into English, particularly in the form of British slang.