The study reveals that Roma people (sometimes known as gypsies, although this is considered a derogatory term) and white Europeans share alterations to their genetic code that occurred after the Roma settled in Europe from northwest India 1,000 years ago. The plague of the 1300s, which killed at least 75 million people, is a likely candidate...Thanks gleeaikin. We had, er, I think we had, a topic about the possibility that The Plague also hit during Roman times, which doesn't seem at all unlikely since there was a staggering amount of seagoing trade with India.
When did Gypsy become derogatory? Roma doesn’t carry the same allure.