Sylbo, the whistling language

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussions' started by Kizmet, Feb 17, 2018.

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  1. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Maniac - perhaps you might be interested in the study of Romani - language of Roma (Gypsies). It has its roots in India (their place of origin) and some of those roots show up in (Indo) European languages.

    And, contrary to what some say, Irish Travellers are not Roma (Gypsies). Like most languages, Shelta has borrowed words - indeed, a few from Romani, some from English etc. but it's an entirely separate language. I say this because some uninformed person wrote that Travellers were Gypsies, in a review of the movie. No - they're an entirely different people.
     
    Abner likes this.
  2. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I haven't heard the final news from Ancestry yet - but my son did. He got his info yesterday. Nothing but British Isles and Western Europe - Holland, Belgium, Germany - where most who became Englishmen came from 14-1500 years ago. He has no native blood either, so I guess his mother didn't. That's a surprise. She sure looked the part! I still have two grandchildren who do have Native blood - definitely, via their mother.

    Looks like I'll turn out to have no Iranian, Hungarian or anything interesting at all. Maybe I'll get to learn Dutch. Anglo-Saxon is always an interesting lingo, but not much call for it these days. We'll soon see exactly what I am - but I'm guessing it's disappointingly plain. I'm not going to use the service that tells you who you might be related to. I just wanted to know what ethnicity, not actual names. Heck - with this vanilla mix, I could be in danger of being related at some point to folks I really don't like - maybe Jeff Sessions - or worse, Mike Pence! I wouldn't want to know stuff like that!
     
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2018
    Abner likes this.
  3. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    Johann - " Heck - with this vanilla mix, I could be in danger of being related at some point to folks I really don't like - maybe Jeff Sessions - or worse, Mike Pence! I wouldn't want to know stuff like that!"

    That would be a nightmare! He he. How much did the ancestry thing cost?
     
  4. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    About $129 per person, Abner - they often have a sale for $99. Oh well -- picked up a Dutch course yesterday. Judging by my son's results, that's probably about as exotic as I'll get. Anyway, we'll see in a few weeks. I've looked through the Dutch book - and it's obvious that having learned some German 'way back in my teens will help me greatly in learning Dutch.
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2018
  5. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Those who have (or suspect they may have) significant African ancestry may get more specific results from this competitor:

    http://africanancestry.com/home/
     
  6. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    My unfulfilled fantasies about my own ancestry briefly caused me to think about a new racket - bespoke DNA results! "Why get a fake degree, when you can get a fake pedigree?"

    Maybe it's being done already ... as it is, there are too many reports of fake (claimed) African- and Native Americans-who-aren't. No good to be a fake anything. Rather than flattery, it can come off as an insult - and a cultural theft (and theft of dignity) from the individuals or group imitated.
     
  7. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Bumpity - got my DNA results about 20 minutes ago. As I'd begun to expect, pretty plain - except for the South Asian less than 1% - but who knows... here they are, if you're interested:

    Main:

    British - Mainly Southern England - 76%
    Western Europe - 17% (Belgium, France, Germany Netherlands Switz. Lux. Liech.)

    Low-confidence:

    Ireland/Scotland/Wales - 3%
    Scandinavia - 2%
    Iberian Peninsula - <1%
    South Asia -<1%

    Cheers!
     
  8. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I'm guessing that for some centuries, quite a few of my ancestors were likely serfs on some feudal lord's demesne. Probably relatively few could read, before the mid-1800s or later. Most people were literate, but still a pretty dark, unpromising place by the time my parents left England, after World War 2. What have I got that they didn't have? College & University diplomas, Internet access, four guitars, a concertina, two accordions, a mountain dulcimer, a lapharp and a hatful of harmonicas. Half a dozen cameras and several thousand books. Plus another couple of thousand CDs tapes and vinyl records. And my music files for the computer. That'll do just fine. :)
     
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2018
  9. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I read up on this - not uncommon to show up in mainly British DNA like mine. Some people thought that they might have a Romany (Gypsy) ancestor. The experts say no - 1% is most likely "noise" unless you have a paper trail that definitely indicates Romany possibility. If you have several times that amount and no known South Asians in the tree - then you might well be part Romany. Or some Brit ancestor might have started an Anglo-Indian family while serving British Empire interests in India. You might need further testing to tell which scenario applies.

    There are Americans showing a degree of Romany ancestry whose families can be linked to the (Eastern) United States: those states that accepted transported Gypsy convicts from the UK, i.e . Maryland, Virginia and South Carolina. The DNA of these families can often be linked to specific UK Romany families - Stanley, Burton, Boswell, Lee, Lock(e).

    My lack of luck in finding anything really interesting about my DNA reminds me of the great bluesman Albert King's "Born under a Bad Sign."

    "Born under a bad sign -
    Been down since I could crawl. (2x)
    Wasn't for bad luck, wouldn't have no luck at all."

    Oh well ... any day I get to quote Albert King isn't a complete loss!
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2018
  10. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member

    A grandparent with a surname of Krishnamurthy would be another clew. ;-)
     
  11. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    If you have someone like that, you don't need to look for other clues.
     
  12. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    Is your avatar a picture of the real you, Johann? If so, then for someone with so much British DNA, that is a solid tan you have.

    I'd take one of those ancestry tests myself, but I'm afraid of being found out and sent back to my home planet.
     
  13. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Yes, it's me, Maniac. Many moons ago. Summer of 83 - hence the tan. From an earlier post in this thread:
    And yes -- Elon Musk would probably have a rocket waiting, with your name on it. :)
     
  14. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I think maybe it's time I quit hijacking the Sylbo thread into the Ancestry thread ... but I can't resist one more before I quit. I'm amazed at all the stuff one gets, on the Ancestry site. I didn't know that I would be presented with names and short profiles of all members whose DNA showed they might be related to me (degree and likelihood). And we can email each other on the site. The first thing the info showed is -- DNA proves my son is indeed my son. That's comforting. :) There are over 100 other members with varying likelihoods of connection to me, though most were quite distant. I got a site email from one such person, someone very likely to be my fourth cousin, according to our DNA profiles. So far, we haven't been able to establish a specific family connection between us, but we might yet. The game is just beginning...
     
  15. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  16. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    That's cool. I think I might try that as well. How much does it cost?
     
  17. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Yes - this has happened before. I remember a TV documentary from quite some years ago that profiled one doctor, suspected of having fathered over 100 of his patients' children, by surreptitious own-sperm donation, supposed to be from an anonymous donor. If these ancestry services catch one or two such people - so much the better!

    And on the subject of low-level traces included in DNA profiles, some are just "noise" - no real meaning. I'm <1% South Asian, according to my profile. Or not. Only way that might mean anything is with a paper-trail Romany (Gypsy) connection. Wish I had one, but I don't. 1% = nothing. Now, 8-10% - maybe you learn to sing Djelem Djelem (Romani Anthem). My son has <1% North African, I guess from his mother's side. I'm guessing it's real, the way that guy gets a tan! I fry up nicely, as you can see, but I'm a paleface by comparison! I'm guessing further, his small North African DNA component might be from Roman times. His mother's background is UK also - and 1500-1900 years ago, soldiers from all over the Roman Empire served in Britain.

    In fact, it's documented that during Empire days, quite a few Black Roman soldiers with a regiment formed in Africa, served in a certain part of Germany for many years. Right down to today, it's documented that quite a few inhabitants of that area have some bi-racial characteristics as a direct result.

    We paid $129 apiece. They often have sales for $99. Log onto their website, ancestry.com - you'll see what the latest offer is.
     
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2018

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