gypsy

gypsy
\ \ [16] It appears that in late medieval Europe, it was widely believed that the Roma people originated in Egypt. They first appeared in England around the beginning of the 16th century, and at first were generally referred to as ‘Egyptians’ (a name which survived well into the 18th century). Egyptian was soon eroded to gyptian, and by the end of the 16th century a new ending had been grafted on to the word to produce gypsy.

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Gypsy — (sometimes spelled Gipsy , Gipsey ) is a word used to name, as a blanket term, various unrelated ethnic groups or persons fitting the Gypsy stereotypes. It is usually intended to refer to members of the Roma people.EtymologyThe Oxford English… …   Wikipedia

  • Gypsy — (engl. für „Zigeuner“) bezeichnet neben dieser Bedeutung folgendes: eine Unterart des Jazz, siehe Gypsy Jazz ein Musical, siehe Gypsy (Musical) einen darauf basierenden Film aus dem Jahr 1962, siehe Gypsy (Film) einen Motorradclub, siehe Gypsy MC …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Gypsy — [jip′sē] n. pl. Gypsies [earlier gypcien, short for Egipcien, Egyptian: orig. thought to have come from Egypt] 1. [also g ] a member of a nomadic Caucasoid people with dark skin and black hair, found throughout the world and believed to have… …   English World dictionary

  • Gypsy — Gyp sy a. Pertaining to, or suitable for, gypsies. [1913 Webster] {Gypsy hat}, a woman s or child s broad brimmed hat, usually of straw or felt. {Gypsy winch}, a small winch, which may be operated by a crank, or by a ratchet and pawl through a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Gypsy — Gyp sy (j[i^]p s[y^]), n.; pl. {Gypsies} (j[i^]p s[i^]z). [OE. Gypcyan, F. [ e]gyptien Egyptian, gypsy, L. Aegyptius. See {Egyptian}.] [Also spelled {gipsy} and {gypsey}.] 1. One of a vagabond race, whose tribes, coming originally from India,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Gypsy — Gypsy, Gipsy The term has both ethnic and general reference: either to a member of dark skinned nomadic people of Hindu origin and associated with Egypt (hence the name) or a person who adopts the same mode of life. The OED gave priority to gipsy …   Modern English usage

  • Gypsy — Gyp sy (j[i^]p s[y^]), v. i. To play the gypsy; to picnic in the woods. Mostly, {Gyp sy*ing}, vb. n. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Gypsy — also gipsy, c.1600, alteration of gypcian, a worn down M.E. dialectal form of egypcien Egyptian, from the supposed origin of these people. As an adjective, from 1620s. Cognate with Sp. Gitano and close in sense to Turkish and Arabic Kipti gypsy,… …   Etymology dictionary

  • gypsy — index migrant Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • gypsy — [ʒipsi] adj. et n. ⇒ Gipsy …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • gypsy — (also gipsy) ► NOUN (pl. gypsies) ▪ a member of a travelling people with dark skin and hair, speaking the Romany language. DERIVATIVES gypsyish adjective. ORIGIN originally gipcyan, short for EGYPTIAN(Cf. ↑Egyptian) (because gypsies were believed …   English terms dictionary

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