daj
The Romani word for "mom" is daj.
daj is an informal way to refer to a female parent.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Eastern European regions, the form Mamo is used to say "mom".
Did you know?
- While daj is a common way to say 'mom', many Romani speakers use the word daj to also mean 'nurse' or 'midwife' in certain traditional contexts.
- The linguistic root of daj is shared with terms in Kurdish, showing that the language's development was influenced by regions beyond just India.
- In many Romani dialects, the word for 'mother' is so central to the kinship system that it is used as a respectful title for any older woman in the community, not just a biological parent.
Example conversation
Andrei is asking Luminita about her family.
- AndreiKatar kaja si tuji daj?Where is your mom from?
- LuminitaMije daj si katar o Romania.My mom is from Romania.
- AndreiSi e daj xajbe?Is your mom kind?
- LuminitaAo, e daj si xajbe te sa.Yes, my mom is very kind.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry daj, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries daj, CC BY-SA 4.0.
