Frankly, Gadget; Your Googling would e as good as mine here
It must've been thirty odd years ago now. I'd imagine " FolkTracks " have long since vanished?
I was given my copy ~ on cassette, which rather places it, no? ~ by one of englands leading experts on the Romani languages. It was part of a compilation he'd made up for me. Had, I believe it was; Charlie Scamp on there too. Only, obviously, he could only come up with bits and pieces of " Anglo Romani ". Something about " The
jivels are ..... " doing something or other.
The Welsh Romani bit was probably less than ten minutes. But, they were simply sat there, having a completely normal natter about what ever came into their heads. Not a single word of english was used throughout.
Like I've said; They used certain word forms which were at variance with what even an Anglo Romanes speaker would be accustomed to. Thus, ye'd find yeself picking out some words. Others were a mystery. Many more were actually 'hidden' by both (Welsh) accent and the sheer torrent of speech.
To give ye a tiny example ~ written rather phonetically, as I've forgotten so much now and can't be certain of what exactly they might have been pronouncing anyway. Also, so ye'll know the moment ye ever hear this 'tape'. I starts off with the following exchange:
Kai shannus kerrivess?
'Pre o pani.
So tildom?
Tildann cushti matchi.
Like I say; I reckon it'd take Samsons dictionary, and a good ear, to sort out what they were on about. And I've broken up the words and seperated them for ye, there. These two guys just rattle it off so that each sentence has no, apparent, punctuation. Sounds like " Kaishannuskerrivess? ".
Murder!
