Caló

Conjugate Verbs

Introduction

Caló is a language spoken by the Spanish and Portuguese Romani. It is a mixed language based on Romance grammar, with an adstratum of Romani lexical items through language shift by the Romani community. It is often used as an argot, a secret language for discreet communication amongst Iberian Romani. Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, and Spanish caló are closely related varieties that share a common root.

The Caló Verb

• The verb conjugation of Caló has been totally changed, and now follows the conjugation of Spanish verbs in all moods, tenses, voices, numbers, and persons.
• The conjugation has adapted only the -ar conjugation, and in this conjugation the verbs are conjugated completely regularly, except in spoken language that lack moods and tenses.
• Due to its roots in the east, the language has preserved a very specific feature; the verb ending in elar instead of ar is used to indicate more energy in the action that it describes:
  • Thus chinar is 'cut', and chinelar is 'sow';
  • querar is simply 'do' and querelar is 'exercise', 'work';
  • chibar is 'put', 'pose', 'throw' and chibelar is 'set', 'place', 'include'.
• In pseudo-erudite language there is use of different forms of auxiliary verbs that shouldn't be included in serious grammars. The only genuine auxiliary verbs are:
  • sinar or sinelar, 'to be';
  • terelar or aisnar, 'to have'.
• Unlike in Spanish that has two verbs for 'to be' ser and estar, Caló doesn't. Spanish estar translates to socabar 'to remain' or socabelar 'to exist'.
• Terelar is also an active verb, and then it means 'to have', 'to possess'.
• Aisnar is used seldom, and normally in questions, because it indicates action that isn't executed yet: ¿Presás ne aisnas chalao? 'Why haven't you left?'
• Although the participle ends in ao, there are some gypsies that pronounce it ado, like in Spanish. But that is an rather an exception.
• The total regularization of the verb system altered totally the character of the verb, making it sometimes hard to understand especially the spoken language.
• In spoken language the present of sinar 'to be' is irregular.
• There are 3 verbal words that have impersonal meaning:
  • jomte, 'there's need for'
  • astis, 'can'
  • nastis, 'it's impossible'
• The Spanish hay, había 'there is' doesn't exist in Caló. It is translated in regular way: Unga terela buchí, 'There's something; sata terelaban butrés, 'There were many'.
• At the end of this page, there's a list of most common verbs, all are completely regular.

Verblist

• abillar -- venir
• alachar -- hallar
• anacar -- acontecer
• ardiñar -- subir
• asaselar -- alegrar
• asparabar -- romper
• aspasar -- saludar
• astisar -- poder
• bestelar -- sentar
• bichabar -- enviar
• bichotar -- parecer
• bigorear -- llegar
• binelar -- vender
• bucharar -- echar
• butanar -- derramar
• camelar -- querer
• canguelar -- recelar
• caquerar -- maltratar
• catanar -- juntar
• costunar -- levantar
• curarar -- castigar
• chalabear -- mover
• chalar -- ir
• chamullar -- hablar
• chanar -- saber
• chanelar -- entender
• chapescar -- escapar
• chibar -- poner
• childar -- preparar
• chinar -- cortar
• chindar -- parir
• chingarar -- reñir
• chiotar -- escupir
• chitar -- colocar
• chobelar -- lavar
• chorar -- robar
• chupendar -- besar
• darañar -- turbar
• debisar -- deber
• deterelar -- detener
• dicar -- ver
• diñar -- dar
• diquelar -- mirar
• enjallar -- recordar
• ertinar -- perdonar
• garabar -- enterrar
• garlar -- charlar
• girelar -- burlar
• guiyabar -- cantar
• golar -- vocear
• hetar -- llamar
• jabillar -- comprender
• jachar -- quemar
• jalar, jamar -- comer
• jilar -- refrescar
• jinar -- contar
• jonjabar -- engañar
• jonjanar -- defraudar
• julabar -- aparejar
• junelar -- oir
• lanar -- traer
• libanar -- escribir
• lillar -- tomar
• limbidiar -- volver
• lirenar -- leer
• listrabar -- librar
• luanar -- colgar
• lliguerar -- llevar
• machorar -- pescar
• mamisarar -- mamar
• mangar -- pedir
• marar -- matar
• mecar -- dejar
• melalar -- medir
• mucar -- cesar
• mulabar -- ajusticiar
• nacar -- pasar
• nacicar -- moler
• najabar -- perder
• najar -- marchar
• nicabar -- quitar
• nicobar -- apartar
• nichobelar -- salir
• orobar -- llorar
• orotar -- buscar
• ostinar -- despertar
• pachibelar -- creer
• pajabar -- tocar
• pandar -- atar
• pandelar -- oprimir
• parbarar -- criar
• paruguelar -- traficar
• pejar -- bajar
• penar -- decir
• penchabar -- pensar
• perar -- caer
• perelar -- llenar
• pesquibar -- probar
• pinchar -- conocer
• pindrabar -- abrir
• pirelar -- andar
• piyar -- beber
• plasarar -- pagar
• plastañar -- seguir
• prestisarar -- prestar
• pucanar -- publicar
• puchabar -- preguntar
• quelar -- bailar
• querabar -- asar
• querar -- hacer
• querelar -- ejercer
• quinar -- comprar
• randar -- hurlar
• randiñar -- trabajar
• romandiñar -- casar
• rudelar -- responder
• saplar -- sentenciar
• sicobar -- sacar
• sobelar -- reposar
• socabar -- habitar
• sonsibelar -- callar
• sornar -- dormir
• sustilar -- parar
• tasabiar -- tardar
• trajatar -- molestar
• trajelar -- engullir
• ucharar -- cubrir
• ujarar -- esperar
• urdifiar -- encender
• urjiyar -- sufrir
• ustilar -- coger
• vear -- confesar
• zermañar -- blasfemar
• zibar -- maravillar

External Links

• "Epítome de Gramática gitana", de don Francisco Quindalé, sección del libro "El gitanismo. Historia, costumbres y dialecto de los gitanos", escrito por Don Francisco de Sales Mayo, año 1870.