Help with Romany name

Jazzaferri

Does anyone know if there is a rom word for duo (as in two musicians)

Failing that the word for 2 would be second choice. We need a name for our duo By Thursday ackkkkkkk :shock:

Joli Gadjo

Unless Denis is around, did you ask this on Manoucheries?

Bob Holo

Yai or Dui or Divi, is two, but I'd be careful naming something in a language most people won't understand. I started a coffee company when I was a young guy and named it using a language that was, well, slavic - perhaps Romani or from the same root anyway. No one ever "got" the name or why I used it. The company did fairly well, but it was due to the quality of the coffee which built its own clientele... a clientele of people who really loved the coffee but couldn't pronounce the name and didn't know what it meant ;-)

When I eventually sold it, the new owner changed its name immediately.

So, clever esoteric names are fun, but sometimes they're a hurdle to overcome.

scot

Bob is correct. There is an old gypsy tune called Dui-Dui - the russian gypsy I used to play with told me that meant "two by two". I don't know if it's actually a roma word or a corruption of the russian word for two which is dvi.

Jazzaferri

Well, I appreciate the responses. We are still struggling with a name for our duo but this helps..
Also got an email back from Dennis that sheds a bit of light.

dennis

dunno where the word dui comes from, but the lyrics of the song "dui dui" are
quite ridiculous... i know there's a different dui dui song from eastern europe with different lyrics, but the one that the sinti sing doesn't make much sense... it's more like they use the word two just because it fits the song

it goes something like two two two two twelve, why do you have such a beautiful face? I'm ugly, you're pretty, that's why you don't love me. My face is dark, your face is white, that's why you don't love me

hahaha

kevingcox

I have to stop learning about what these songs mean, they are always about religion (ugh) or silliness like that. The mysterious unknown is always so much cooler.

Bob Holo

Yah, some lyrics lack a certain 'gravitas'.

I'm trying to remember who it was - Andy Kaufman possibly - had a routine where he'd come out on stage and recite lyrics to pop songs with a straight face. Some were hilarious. I seem to remember him doing Paul McCartney's "Let 'em In" and the Pointer Sister's "Jump".

dennis

kevingcox wrote: »

I have to stop learning about what these songs mean, they are always about religion (ugh) or silliness like that. The mysterious unknown is always so much cooler.

haha Gypsy songs (at least the Sinti ones) are about any of the following (or a combination):

-Love (Tu djayal, djine tu kowa ziro, pash tutte, dui dui, fuli tschai, tschawo)
-nostalgia (tu djayal, djine tu kowa ziro, pash tutte)
-partying as in eating food/playing music/etc (kel leila kel, o sinto rala gern)
-Religion (o dewel, baro dewel, jesus hi lo djiben, o welto)

fuli tschai is something like "beautiful, beautiful, pretty girl, why won't you go out with me? Isa, Dona and ugly girl. Why won't you come with me? why won't you go out with me? Isa, Dona, and ugly girl"