Abstract: This essay examines the status of Rromani language and literature in Acta Comparationis Litterarum Universarum, the world’s first journal of comparative literature. Specifically, I discuss how the presence of Rromani folk songs and translations in this nineteenth century Transylvanian academic publication can be understood within broader linguistic, political, and colonial frameworks. Does this presence show genuine appreciation for Rromani culture, or is it part of a European colonial epistemology that racialized the Roma as the “inner Orientals” of Europe? The essay contextualizes Acta’s publication of Rromani texts in light of the broader European academic discourse on Roma, paying special attention to the influence of “Gypsylorism,” an intellectual tradition that exoticizes and racializes Roma communities. My analysis highlights the agency of nineteenth-century Roma intellectuals, their efforts to standardize Rromani lannguage, and their struggles for cultural and political recognition within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The essay concludes by assessing the journal’s contribution to the field of Romani Studies and the development of Rromani literature.
Keywords: Rromani language, comparative literature, Acta Comparationis, Romani Studies
Acknowledgement: This work was funded by the EU’s NextGenerationEU instrument through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan of Romania—Pillar III-C9-18, through the project A Global History of Romanian Comparatism: A Case Study in Inter-Imperial Comparative Literature (1877–1944), PNRR-III-C9–2023-I8-CF 22/27.07.2023, contract no. 760276/26.03.2024.
