Aromanians

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Not to be confused with Armenians or Romanians.
Aromanians
Aromanian: Rrmnj, Armnj
Total population
c. 250,000 (Aromanian-speakers)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Greece 39,855 (1951 census); estimate up to 200,000[2]
Albania 8,266 (2011 census); estimate up to 200,000[3]
Romania c. 28,600[4][better source needed]
Macedonia 9,695 (2002 census)[5]
Bulgaria 3,684 (2011 census)[6]
Serbia 243 "Cincari" (2011 census)[7]
Languages
Aromanian (native)
Religion
Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Related ethnic groups
other Romance peoples, Greeks
The Aromanians (Aromanian: Rrmnj, Armnj[8]) are an ethnic group native to the
southern Balkans, traditionally living in northern and central Greece, central and
southern Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, and south-western Bulgaria. Especially
in Greece, the term Vlachs is widespread, but this term is internationally used to
encompass all Romance-speaking peoples of the Balkans and Tatra Mountains regions,
including the modern-day Romanians. "Vlach" is a blanket term covering several
modern peoples descending from the Latinized population of the Balkans and Central-
Eastern Europe.[9]

The Aromanians speak the Aromanian language, a Latin-derived language similar to

Romanian, which has many slightly varying dialects of its own.[10] It descends from
the Vulgar Latin spoken by the Paleo-Balkan peoples subsequent to their
Romanization. It is a mix of domestic and Latin language with additional influences
from other surrounding languages of the Balkans, such as Greek, Albanian and
Bulgarian languages.[11]

Contents [hide]
1 Names and classification
1.1 Ethnonyms
1.2 Groups
1.3 Nicknames
2 Population
2.1 Settlements
2.2 Religion
3 Origin
4 History and self-identification
4.1 Aromanians within the Balkan nationalisms of the 19th and 20th centuries
4.2 Modern Aromanian identities
5 Aromanians today
5.1 In Greece
5.2 In Albania
5.3 In the Republic of Macedonia
5.4 In Romania
5.5 In Bulgaria
5.6 In Serbia
5.7 Diaspora
6 Genetic studies
7 Notable Aromanians
8 See also
9 References
10 Sources
11 Further reading
12 External links
12.1 Documentaries and conferences
12.2 Associations and databases
12.3 Blogs
Names and classification[edit]
Main article: Names of the Aromanians
Part of a series on
Aromanians
Culture Etymology List of Aromanians
By region or country
Greece Albania Romania Republic of Macedonia Bulgaria Serbia
Major settlements
Moscopole Muzachia Metsovo Pindus Kruevo Gramos Grabova Farsala
Language
Alphabet
Religion
Eastern Orthodox Christianity
History
Romanization (cultural) Great Vlachia Wallachia Principality of the Pindus Self-
identification
Related groups
Greeks Italians Romanians Moldovans Morlachs Megleno-Romanians Istro-Romanians
v t e
Ethnonyms[edit]
The term Aromanian derives directly from the Latin Romanus, meaning Roman citizen.
The initial a- is a regular epenthetic vowel, occurring when certain consonant
clusters are formed, and it is not, as folk etymology sometimes has it, related to
the negative or privative a- of Greek (also occurring in Latin words of Greek
origin). The term was coined by Gustav Weigand in his 1894 work Die Aromunen. The
first book to which many scholars have referred to as the most valuable to
translate their ethnical name is a grammar printed in 1813 in Austria by Michael
Boiagi. The Greek title was Grammatike Romanike Etoi Makedono-Blachike (Roman or
Macedono-Vlach Grammar).

The terms Aromanian or Vlach are both exonyms; the first one is modern, the second
medieval. The Aromanians call themselves Rrmn or Armn, depending on which of the
two dialectal groups they belong, and identify as part of the fara armneasc
("Aromanian tribe") or the populu armnescu ("Aromanian people").[8] The endonym is
rendered in Romanian as Aromni, in Greek as Armanoi (), in Albanian as
Arumunt, in Bulgarian as Arumani (), in Macedonian as Aromanci (),
in Serbo-Croatian as Armani and Aromuni.

The term "Vlach" was used in medieval Balkans as an exonym for all the Romance-
speaking (Romanized) people of the region, as well as a general name for shepherds,
but nowadays is commonly used for the Aromanians and Meglenites (Daco-Romanians
being named Vlachs only in Serbia and Bulgaria). The term is noted in the following
languages: Greek "Vlachoi" (), Albanian "Vllah", Bulgarian and Serbian
"Vlasi" (B), Turkish "Ulahlar", Hungarian[12] "Olh". It is noteworthy that the
term Vlach also meant "bandit" or "rebel" in Ottoman historiography, and that the
term was also used as an exonym for mainly Orthodox Christians in Ottoman-ruled
western Balkans (mainly denoting Serbs), as well as by the Venetians for the
immigrant Slavophone population of the Dalmatian hinterland (also mainly denoting
Serbs).

Groups[edit]
Kahl divides the Aromanians into two main groups, the "Rrmnj" (Romanian: Aromni
Freroi, Greek: Arvanitvlachi) and "Armnj" (Romanian: Aromni, Greek:
Kutsvlachi). Further, the Aromanians are divided into sub-groups.[8]

Distinguished according to geographic area, Aromanians are grouped into several

"branches" such as:

Pindeans, concentrated in and around the Pindus Mountains of Northern and Central
Greece.
Gramustians (or Gramosteans, gr. grammostianoi), from Gramos Mountains, an isolated
area in south-eastern Albania, and north-west of Greece.
Muzachiars, from Muzachia situated in central Albania.
Farsherots (or Farsheriots), concentrated in Epirus, from Frashr (Aromanian
Farshari), once Aromanian urban center situated in south-eastern Albania.
Moscopolitans, from the city of Moscopole, once an important urban center of the
Balkans, now a village in southeastern Albania.
The first two groups call themselves Rrmn, while the other three groups (with a
distinct dialect) call themselves Armn.[citation needed]

Nicknames[edit]
The Aromanian communities have several nicknames depending on the country where
they are living.

Gramustians and Pindians are nicknamed Koutsovlachs (Greek ). This term

is sometimes taken as derogatory, as the first element of this term is from the
Greek koutso- (-) meaning "lame". Following a Turkish etymology where kk
means "little" they are the smaller group of Vlachs as opposed to the more numerous
Vlachs (Daco-Romanians).
Farsherots, from Frashr (Albania), Moscopole and Muzachia are nicknamed
"Frashariotes" or Arvanitovlachs (Greek ), meaning "Albanian Vlachs"
referring to their place of origin.[13] Most of the Frashariotes are characterized
also as "Greek-Vlach Northern Epirotes" because of their frequent historical
inhabitance of ethnic Greek territory.[14]
In the South Slavic countries, such as Serbia, the Republic of Macedonia and
Bulgaria, the nicknames used to refer to the Aromanians are usually Vlasi (South
Slavic for Vlachs and Wallachians) and Tsintsari (also spelled Tzintzari, Cincari
or similar), which is derived from the way the Aromanians pronounce the word
meaning five, tsintsi. In Romania, the demonym macedoni and machedoni is also used.
In Albania, the terms Vllah ("Vlach") and oban or obenj (from Turkish oban,
"shepherd") are used.[15]

Population[edit]
Settlements[edit]
Main article: List of Aromanian settlements
The Aromanian community in Albania is estimated to number 100,000 to 200,000
people, including those who no longer speak the language.[16] Tanner estimates that
the community constitutes 2% of the population.[16] In Albania, Aromanian
communities inhabit Moscopole, their most famous settlement, the Kolonj District
(where they are concentrated), a quarter of Fier (Aromanian Ferc), while
Aromanian was taught, as recorded by Tom Winnifrith, at primary schools in Andon
Poi near Gjirokastr (Aromanian Ljurocastru), Shkall (Aromanian Scar) near
Sarand, and Borov near Kor (Aromanian Curceau) (1987).[13] A Romanian research
team concluded in the 1960s that Albanian Aromanians migrated to Tirana, Stan
Karbunar, Skrapar, Pojan, Bilisht and Kor, and that they inhabited Karaja,
Lushnj, Moscopole, Drenov and Boboshtic (Aromanian Bubushtitsa).[13]

Religion[edit]
The Aromanians are predominantly Orthodox Christians, and follow the Eastern
Orthodox liturgical calendar.
Origin[edit]

Map of the Roman Empire during its height, under Trajan (r. 98117).

The Jireek Line is an imaginary line that shows where Latin and Greek influences
meet in the Balkans, according to epigraphic archaeological data.
The Aromanian language is related to the Vulgar Latin spoken in the Balkans during
the Roman period.[17] It is hard to establish the history of the Vlachs in the
Balkans, with a gap between the barbarian invasions and the first mentions of the
Vlachs in the 11th and 12th centuries.[18] Byzantine chronicles are unhelpful, and
only in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries the term Vlach becomes more frequent,
although it proves problematic to distinguish sorts of Vlachs as it was used for
various subjects, such as the empire of the Asen dynasty, Thessaly, and Romania
across the Danube.[18] It has been assumed that Aromanians are descendants of Roman
soldiers or Latinized original populations (Greeks, Illyrians, Thracians or
Dardanians), due to the historical Roman military presence in the territory
inhabited by the community.[17] Many Romanian scholars maintain that the Aromanians
were part of a Daco-Romanian migration from the north of the Danube between the
6th[19] and 10th centuries, supporting the theory that the 'Great Romanian'
population descend from the ancient Dacians and Romans.[20] Greek scholars view the
Aromanians as descendants of Roman legionaries that married Greek women.[19] There
is no evidence for either theory, and Winnifrith deems them improbable.[19] The
little evidence that exists points that the Vlach (Aromanian) homeland was in the
northern Balkans, with the Jireek Line demarcating the Latin and Greek
linguistical influence spheres.[21] With the Slavic breakthrough of the Danube
frontier in the 7th century, Latin-speakers were pushed further southwards.[21]

History and self-identification[edit]

Main article: History of the Aromanians

Aromanian shepherd in traditional clothes, photo from the early 1900s, Archive:
Manaki Brothers.
The Aromanians or Vlachs first appear in medieval Byzantine sources in the 11th
century, in the Strategikon of Kekaumenos and Anna Komnene's Alexiad, in the area
of Thessaly.[22] In the 12th century, the Jewish traveller Benjamin of Tudela
records the existence of the district of "Vlachia" near Halmyros in eastern
Thessaly, while the Byzantine historian Niketas Choniates places "Great Vlachia"
near Meteora. Thessalian Vlachia was apparently also known as "Vlachia in Hellas".
[23] Later medieval sources also speak of an "Upper Vlachia" in Epirus, and a
"Little Vlachia[disambiguation needed]" in Aetolia-Acarnania, but "Great Vlachia"
is no longer mentioned after the late 13th century.[22]

Aromanians within the Balkan nationalisms of the 19th and 20th centuries[edit]
A distinct Aromanian consciousness was not developed until the 19th century, and
was influenced by the rise of other national movements in the Balkans. Until then,
the Aromanians, as Eastern Orthodox Christians, were subsumed with other ethnic
groups into the wider ethnoreligious group of the "Romans" (in Greek Rhomaioi,
after the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire), which in Ottoman times formed the
distinct Rum millet.[24] The Rum millet was headed by the Greek-dominated
Patriarchate of Constantinople, and the Greek language was used as a lingua franca
among Balkan Orthodox Christians throughout the 17th19th centuries. As a result,
wealthy, urbanized Aromanians were culturally hellenized and played a major role in
the dissemination of Greek language and culture; indeed, the first book written in
Aromanian was written in the Greek alphabet and aimed at spreading Greek among
Aromanian-speakers.[25]

Map showing areas with Romanian schools for Aromanians and Megleno-Romanians in the
Ottoman Empire (1886)
By the early 19th century, however, the distinct Latin-derived nature of the
Aromanian language began to be studied in a series of grammars and language
booklets.[26] In 1815, the Aromanians of Budapest requested permission to use their
language in liturgy, but it was turned down by the local metropolitan.[26]

The establishment of a distinct Aromanian national consciousness, however, was

hampered by the tendency of the Aromanian upper classes to be absorbed in the
dominant surrounding ethnicities, and espouse their respective national causes as
their own.[27] So much did they become identified with the host nations that Balkan
national historiographies portray the Aromanians as the "best Albanians", "best
Greeks" and "best Bulgarians", leading to researchers calling them the "chameleons
of the Balkans".[28] Consequently, many Aromanians played a prominent role in the
modern history of the Balkan nations: Macedonian revolutionary Pitu Guli, Greek
Prime Minister Ioannis Kolettis, Greek magnate Georgios Averoff, Greek Defence
Minister Evangelos Averoff, Serbian Prime Minister Vladan orevi, Patriarch
Athenagoras I of Constantinople, Romanian metropolitan Andrei aguna, the
Wallachian and Moldavian rulers of the Ghica family, etc.

Following the establishment of independent Romania and the autocephaly of the

Romanian Orthodox Church in the 1860s, the Aromanians increasingly began to come
under the influence of the Romanian national movement. Although vehemently opposed
by the Greek church, the Romanians established an extensive state-sponsored
cultural and educative network in the southern Balkans: the first Romanian school
was established in 1864, and by the early 20th century, there were 100 Romanian
churches and 106 schools with 4,000 pupils and 300 teachers.[29] As a result,
Aromanians were divided into two main factions, one pro-Greek, the other pro-
Romanian; and a smaller focusing exclusively on its Aromanian identity.[24]

With the support of the Great Powers, and especially Austria-Hungary, the
"Aromanian-Romanian movement" culminated in the recognition of the Aromanians as a
distinct millet (Ullah millet) by the Ottoman Empire on 23 May 1905, with
corresponding freedoms of worship and education in their own language.[30]
Nevertheless, due to the advanced assimilation of the Aromanians, this came too
late to lead to the creation of a distinct Aromanian national identity; indeed, as
Gustav Weigand noted in 1897, most Aromanians were not only indifferent, but
actively hostile to their own national movement.[31]

At the same time, the GreekRomanian antagonism over Aromanian loyalties

intensified with the armed Macedonian Struggle, leading to the rupture of
diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1906. During the Macedonian
Struggle, most Aromanians participated on the "patriarchist" (pro-Greek) side, but
some sided with the "exarchists" (pro-Bulgarians).[30] However, following the
Balkan Wars of 191213, Romanian interest waned, and when it revived in the 1920s
it was designed more towards encouraging the Romanians' "Macedonian brothers" to
emigrate to Southern Dobruja, where there were strong non-Romanian minorities.[31]

While Romanian activity declined, from World War I on and its involvement in
Albania, Italy made some effortsnot very successfulin converting pro-Romanian
sympathies into pro-Italian ones.[31] In World War II, during the Axis occupation
of Greece, Italy encouraged Aromanian nationalists to form an "Aromanian homeland",
the so-called Principality of the Pindus. The project never gained much traction
among the local population, however. On the contrary, many leading figures of the
Greek Resistance against the Axis, like Andreas Tzimas, Stefanos Sarafis, and
Alexandros Svolos, were Aromanians. The "principality" project collapsed with the
Italian armistice in 1943.

Modern Aromanian identities[edit]

The date of the Ottoman irade of 23 May 1905 has been adopted in recent times by
Aromanians in Albania, Australia, Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia as the
"National Day of the Aromanians", but notably not in Greece or among the Aromanians
in the Greek diaspora.[32]

In modern times, Aromanians generally have adopted the dominant national culture,
often with a dual identity as both Aromanian and
Greek/Albanian/Bulgarian/Macedonian/Serbian etc.[33] Aromanians are also found
outside the borders of Greece. There are many Aromanians in southern Albania and in
towns all over the Balkans,[32] while Aromanians identifying as Romanians are still
to be found in areas where Romanian schools were active.[33] There are also many
Aromanians who identify themselves as solely Aromanian, even, as in the case of the
"Cincars", when they no longer speak the language. Such groups are to be found in
southwestern Albania, the eastern parts of the Republic of Macedonia, the
Aromanians who immigrated to Romania in 1940, and in Greece in the Veria (Aromanian
Veryea or Veryia) and Grevena (Aromanian Grebini) areas and in Athens.[32]

Aromanians today[edit]
In Greece[edit]
See also: Demographics of Greece

Map of Balkans with regions inhabited by Aromanians in yellow

In Greece, Aromanians are not recognised as an ethnic but as a linguistic minority
and, like the Arvanites, have been indistinguishable in many respects from other
Greeks since the 19th century.[34][35] Although Greek Aromanians would
differentiate themselves from native Greek speakers (Grets) when speaking in
Aromanian, most still consider themselves part of the broader Greek nation (Elini,
Hellenes), which also encompasses other linguistic minorities such as the Arvanites
or the Slavic speakers of Greek Macedonia.[36] Greek Aromanians have long been
associated with the Greek national state, actively participated in the Greek
Struggle for Independence, and have obtained very important positions in
government.[37] Aromanians have been very influential in Greek politics, business
and the army. Revolutionary Rigas Feraios,[38] Prime Minister Ioannis Kolettis,[39]
billionaires and benefactors Evangelos Zappas and Konstantinos Zappas, businessman
and philanthropist George Averoff, Field Marshal and later Prime Minister
Alexandros Papagos, and conservative politician Evangelos Averoff[40] were all
Aromanians. It is difficult to estimate the exact number of Aromanians in Greece
today. The Treaty of Lausanne of 1923 estimated their number between 150,000 and
200,000, but the last two censuses to differentiate between Christian minority
groups, in 1940 and 1951, showed 26,750 and 22,736 Vlachs respectively.[36]
Estimates on the number of Aromanians in Greece range between 40,000[2] and
300,000. Thede Kahl estimates the total number of people with Aromanian origin who
still understand the language as no more than 300,000, with the number of fluent
speakers under 100,000.[36]

The majority of the Aromanian population lives in northern and central Greece;
Epirus, Macedonia and Thessaly. The main areas inhabited by these populations are
the Pindus Mountains, around the mountains of Olympus and Vermion, and around the
Prespa Lakes near the border with Albania and the Republic of Macedonia. Some
Aromanians can still be found in isolated rural settlements such as Samarina
(Aromanian Xamarina or San Marina), Perivoli (Aromanian Pirivoli) and Smixi. There
are also Aromanians (Vlachs) in towns and cities such as Ioannina (Aromanian Enina
or Ianina), Metsovo (Aromanian Aminciu), Veria, Katerini, and Thessaloniki
(Aromanian Sruna)

Generally, the use of the minority languages has been discouraged in Greece,[41]
although recently, there have been efforts to preserve the endangered languages
(including Aromanian) of Greece.

Since 1994, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki offers beginners and advanced
courses in "Koutsovlach", and cultural festivals with over 40,000 participantsthe
largest Aromanian cultural gatherings in the worldregularly take place in Metsovo.
[42] Nevertheless, there are no exclusively Aromanian newspapers, and the Aromanian
language is almost totally absent from television.[42] Indeed, although as of 2002
there were over 200 Vlach cultural associations in Greece, many did not even
feature the term "Vlach" in their titles, and only a few are active in preserving
the Aromanian language.[42]

In 1997, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe passed a resolution

encouraging the Balkan states to take steps to rectify the "critical situation" of
Aromanian culture and language.[43] In response, the then President of Greece,
Konstantinos Stefanopoulos, publicly urged Greek Aromanians to teach the language
to their children.

However, the largest Aromanian group in Greece (and across the world), the Pan-
Hellenic Union of Cultural Associations of Vlachs in Greece,[42] has repeatedly
rejected the classification of Aromanian as a minority language or the Vlachs as a
distinct ethnic group separate from the Greeks, considering the Aromanians as an
"integral part of Hellenism".[44][45][46] The Aromanian (Vlach) Cultural Society,
which is associated with Sotiris Bletsas, is represented on the Member State
Committee of the European Bureau for Lesser Spoken Languages in Greece.[47]

In Albania[edit]
See also: Demographics of Albania

National Aromanian festival in Moscopole, 2010

Aromanians in Albania:
Aromanian exclusive settlements
Aromanian majority or substantial minority settlements
There is a large Aromanian community in Albania, which is also called Vlach
Community (Albanian: Komuniteti Vllah), specifically in the southern and central
regions of the country. It is estimated that the number of Aromanians in Albania go
up to 200,000, including those not speaking the language any more.[48][49]
[incomplete short citation] There are currently timid attempts to establish
education in their native language in the town of Divjak. The Aromanians, under
the name "Vlachs", are a recognized cultural and linguistic minority in the
Albanian law.[50]

For the last years there seems to be a renewal of the former policies of supporting
and sponsoring of Romanian schools for Aromanians of Albania. As a recent article
in the Romanian media points out, the kindergarten, primary and secondary schools
in the Albanian town of Divjak where the local Albanian Aromanians pupils are
taught classes both in Aromanian and Romanian were granted substantial help
directly from the Romanian government. The only Aromanian language church in
Albania, the 'Santu Sotir' (The Transfiguration of Jesus) of Kor was given 2
billion lei help from the Romanian government too. They also have a political party
named The Alliance for Equality and European Justice (Aromanian Aleantsa ti
Egaliteti shi Ndrept European) founded in 2011 by former leader, Valentino Mustaka,
and two social organisations named Shoqata Arumunt/Vlleht e Shqiperis (The
Society of the Aromanians/Vlachs of Albania) and Unioni Kombtar Arumun Shqiptar
(The Aromanian Albanian National Union). Many of the Albanian Aromanians (Arvanito
Vlachs) have immigrated to Greece, since they are considered in Greece part of the
Greek minority in Albania.[51]

Notable Aromanians whose family background hailed from today's Albania include
Bishop Andrei aguna, and Reverend Llambro Ballamaci, whereas notable Albanians
with an Aromanian family background are actors Aleksandr (Sandr) Prosi, Margarita
Xhepa, Albert Vrria, and Prokop Mima, as well as composer Nikolla Zoraqi[52] and
singers Eli Fara and Parashqevi Simaku.

In the Republic of Macedonia[edit]

Main article: Aromanians in the Republic of Macedonia

Aromanians of Macedonia

Spread of Aromanians in the Republic of Macedonia:

Localities where Aromanians are an officially recognised minority group
Other localities with an Aromanian population
Areas where Megleno-Romanians are concentrated
According to official government figures (census 2002), there are 9,695 Aromanians
or Vlachs, as they are officially called in the Republic of Macedonia. According to
the census of 1953 there were 8,669 Vlachs, 6,392 in 1981 and 8,467 in 1994.[53]
Aromanians are recognized as an ethnic minority, and are hence represented in
Parliament and enjoy ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious rights and the
right to education in their language.

They have also received financial support from the Romanian government, which made
recognition of the Republic of Macedonia's independence conditional on the
extension of minority rights to the Aromanians[citation needed]. There are
Aromanian cultural societies and associations such as the Union for Aromanian
Culture from the Republic of Macedonia, The Aromanian League of the Republic of
Macedonia, The International League of Aromanians, Comuna Armneasc "Frats
Manachi", (The Aromanian Community Manaki Brothers) in Bitola (Aromanian Bituli or
Bitule)), Partia a'Armnjlor di tu Machedonia (The Party of the Aromanians from the
Republic of Macedonia) and Unia Democratic'a Armnjlor di tu Machedonia (The
Democratic Union of the Aromanians from the Republic of Macedonia).

Many forms of Aromanian-language media have been established since the 1990s. The
Macedonian Government provides financial assistance to Aromanian-language
newspapers and radio stations. Aromanian-language newspapers such as Phoenix
(Aromanian Fenix) service the Aromanian community. The Aromanian television program
Spark (Aromanian Scanteao, Macedonian (Iskra)) broadcasts on the second
channel of the Macedonian Radio-Television.

There are Aromanian classes provided in primary schools and the state funds some
Aromanian published works (magazines and books) as well as works that cover
Aromanian culture, language and history. The latter is mostly done by the first
Aromanian Scientific Society, "Constantin Belemace" in Skopje (Aromanian Scopia),
which has organized symposiums on Aromanian history and has published papers from
them. According to the last census, there were 9,596 Aromanians (0.48% of the total
population). There are concentrations in Kruevo (Aromanian Crushuva) 1,020 (20%),
tip (Aromanian Shtip) 2,074 (4.3%), Bitola 1,270 (1.3%), Struga 656 (1%), Sveti
Nikole (Aromanian San Nicole) 238 (1.4%), Kisela Voda 647 (1.1%) and Skopje 2,557
(0.5%).[54]

In Romania[edit]
See also: Demographics of Romania
Since the Middle Ages, due to the Turkish occupation and the destruction of their
cities, such as Moscopole, Gramoshtea, Linotopi and later on Kruevo, many
Aromanians fled their native homelands in the Balkans to settle the Romanian
principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia, which had a similar language and a
certain degree of autonomy from the Turks. These immigrant Aromanians were more or
less assimilated into the Romanian population.

In 1925, 47 years after Dobruja was incorporated into Romania, King Ferdinand gave
the Aromanians land and privileges to settle in this region, which resulted in a
significant migration of Aromanians into Romania. Today, the 25% of the population
of the region are descendants of Aromanian immigrants.

There are currently between 50,000 and 100,000 Aromanians in Romania, most of which
are concentrated in Dobruja.[citation needed] According to the Union for Aromanian
Language and Culture there are some 100,000 Aromanians in Romania, and they are
often called Makidon.[citation needed] Some Aromanian associations even place the
total number of people of Aromanian descent in Romania as high as 250,000.[citation
needed]

Recently, there has been a growing movement in Romania, both by Aromanians and by
Romanian lawmakers, to recognize the Aromanians either as a separate cultural group
or as a separate ethnic group, and extend to them the rights of other minorities in
Romania, such as mother-tongue education and representatives in parliament.
[citation needed]

In Bulgaria[edit]
See also: Demographics of Bulgaria
Most of the Aromanians in the Sofia region are descendants of Macedonia and
northern Greek emigrants who arrived between 1850 and 1914.[55]

In Bulgaria most Aromanians were concentrated in the region south-west of Sofia, in

the region called Pirin, formerly part of the Ottoman Empire until 1913. Due to
this reason, a large number of these Aromanians moved to Southern Dobruja, part of
the Kingdom of Romania after the Treaty of Bucharest of 1913. After the reinclusion
of Southern Dobruja in Bulgaria with the Treaty of Craiova of 1940, most moved to
Northern Dobruja. Another group moved to northern Greece. Nowadays, the largest
group of Aromanians in Bulgaria is found in the southern mountainous area, around
Peshtera. Most Aromanians in Bulgaria originate from Gramos Mountains, with some
from Macedonia, Pindus Mountains and Moscopole.[56]

After the fall of communism in 1989, Aromanians, Romanians and Vlachs have started
initiatives to organize themselves under one common association.[57][58][59]

According to the 1926 official census, there were: 69,080 Romanians, 5,324
Aromanians, 3,777 Cutzovlachs, and 1,551 Tsintsars.[citation needed]

According to the 2011 official census, there are 3,684 Aromanians in Bulgaria.[60]

In Serbia[edit]
See also: Demographics of Serbia
The Aromanians, known as Cincari (), migrated to Serbia in the 18th and
early 19th centuries. They most often were bilingual in Greek, and were often
called "Greeks" (Grci). They were influential in the forming of Serbian statehood,
having contributed with rebel fighters, merchants, and educated people. Many Greek-
Aromanians (-) came to Serbia with Alija Guanac as krdalije,
mercenaries, and did later join the Serbian Revolution (180417). Some of the
notable rebels include Konda Bimbaa and Papazogli.[61] Among the notable people of
Aromanian descent are playwright Jovan Sterija Popovi (18061856), novelist
Branislav Nui (18641938), and politician Vladan orevi (18441930).

The majority of Serbian people of Aromanian descent do not speak Aromanian and
espouse a Serb identity. They live in Ni, Belgrade and some smaller communities of
Southern Serbia. A small Aromanian settlement is situated in Knjaevac. An
Aromanian association named "Lunjina" was founded in Belgrade in 1991. According to
the 2011 census, there were 243 Serbian citizens that identified as Cincari.[7] It
is estimated that there are 15,000 people of Aromanian descent in Serbia.[62]

Diaspora[edit]
Aside from the Balkan countries, there are also communities of Aromanian emigrants
living in Canada, the United States, France and Germany. Although the largest
diaspora community is in select major Canadian cities, Freiburg, Germany has one of
the most important Aromanian organisations, the 'Union for Culture and Language of
the Aromanians', and one of the largest libraries in the Aromanian language. In the
United States, 'The Society Frshrotul' is one of the oldest and most-known
associations of Aromanians, founded in 1903 by Nicolae Cican, an Aromanian native
of Albania. In France, the Aromanians are grouped in the 'Tr Armnami' cultural
association.[citation needed]

Genetic studies[edit]
In 2006 Bosch et al. attempted to determine if the Aromanians are descendants of
Latinised Dacians, Greeks, Illyrians, Thracians or a combination of these, but no
hypothesis could be proven because of the underlying genetic similarity of all the
tested Balkan groups. Linguistic and cultural differences between Balkan groups
were deemed too weak to prevent gene flow among the groups.[63]

Y-DNA haplogroups[64]
Sample population Sample size R1b R1a I E1b1b E1b1a J G N T
L
Aromanians from Dukas, Albania[64] 39 2.6 2.6 17.9 17.9 0.0 48.7 10.3
0.0 0.0 0.0
Aromanians from Andon Poi, Albania[64] 19 36.8 0.0 42.1 15.8 0.0 5.3
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Aromanians from Kruevo, Macedonia[64] 43 27.9 11.6 20.9 20.9 0.0 11.6
7.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Aromanians from tip, Macedonia[64] 65 23.1 21.5 16.9 18.5 0.0 20.0 0.0
0.0 0.0 0.0
Aromanians in Romania[64] 42 23.8 2.4 19.0 7.1 0.0 33.3 0.0

Notable Aromanians[edit]
Main article: List of Aromanians
[icon] This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (June 2017)
See also[edit]
Principality of the Pindus
The Alliance for Equality and European Justice
Moscopole
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Sources[edit]
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Cultural Identity of the Aromanians in Dobrogea." Tradition and Reform Social
Reconstruction of Europe (2013): 121.
Iosif, Corina (2011). "The Aromanians between nationality and ethnicity: the
history of an identity building". Transylvanian Review. 20: 133148.
Kahl, Thede (2002). "The Ethnicity of Aromanians after 1990: the Identity of a
Minority that Behaves like a Majority". Ethnologia Balkanica. 6. pp. 145169.
Kahl, Thede (2003). "Aromanians in Greece. Minority or Vlach-Speaking Greeks".
Jahrbcher fr Geschichte und Kultur Sdosteuropas. 5: 205219.
Kazhdan, Alexander, ed. (1991). The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford and New
York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-504652-6.
Motta, Giuseppe (2011). "The Fight for Balkan Latinity. The Aromanians until World
War I". Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences. 2 (3): 252260.
Motta, Giuseppe (2012). "The Fight for Balkan Latinity (II). The Aromanians after
World War". Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences. 3 (11): 541550.
Nowicka, E. (2016). "Ethnic Identity of Aromanians/Vlachs in the 21st Century".
Ruzica, Miroslav (2006). "The Balkan Vlachs/Aromanians Awakening, National
Policies, Assimilation" (PDF). Proceedings of the Globalization, Nationalism and
Ethnic Conflicts in the Balkans and its Regional Context. Belgrade.
Schwandner-Sievers, Stephanie (1999). "The Albanian Aromanians' awakening: identity
politics and conflicts in post-communist Albania". Flensburg: European Centre for
Minority Issues.
Tanner, Arno (2004). "The Vlachs - A contested identity". The Forgotten Minorities
of Eastern Europe: The History and Today of Selected Ethnic Groups in Five
Countries. East-West Books. pp. 203. ISBN 978-952-91-6808-8.
rcomnicu, Emil (2009). "Some Topics of the Traditional Wedding Customs of the
MacedoRomanians (Aromanians and MeglenoRomanians)". Romanian Journal of
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Winnifrith, Tom (1987). The Vlachs: the history of a Balkan people (PDF).
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Winnifrith, Tom (2002). Clogg, Richard, ed. Vlachs. Minorities in Greece: Aspects
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7.
Further reading[edit]
"Report: The Vlachs". Greek Monitor of Human & Minority Rights. December 1995 [May
June 1994].
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aromanians.
Documentaries and conferences[edit]
Stankovi, Branko (2008). Cincari: balkanski Hazari (documentary). Belgrade: RTS.
(in Serbian)
Kovaevi, Milana (1980). Karavan: Zletovo (documentary). Belgrade: RTS. (in
Serbian)
Tihi genocid (documentary). Novi Sad: TV Novi Sad. 1988. (in Serbian)
Podjavorsek, Davor (2016). Die Aromunen in Mazedonien (documentary). ARD; Arte. (in
German)
Voicu, Marian (2015). Torna, Torna, Frate! (documentary). Bucharest: TVR 1. (in
Romanian)
Trifon, Nikola (2015). Cincari, suvina kockica u balkanskom mozaiku (conference).
Belgrade: Srpsko-cincarsko drutvo Lunjina; SANU. (in Serbian)
Nadoveza, Branko (2016). Cincari u politikom ivotu Srbije XIX veka (conference).
Belgrade: Srpsko-cincarsko drutvo Lunjina; SANU. (in Serbian)
/-/ (conference). Veria. 2013. (in Greek)
Xhaxhiu, Rezear; Mustaka, Valentin (5 January 2016). Nat me Xhaxhiun: Arumunt
Na llogarisni dhe ne... (interview). Tirana: News24. (in Albanian)
Associations and databases[edit]
" (Laografiks Sllogos Vlchon Vroias)" (in
Greek).
" (Sllogos Vlchon Prosotsnis)" (in Greek).
" (Laografiks Sllogos Vlchon
Eparhas Almyro)" (in Greek).
" . (Sllogos Vlchon N.Serrn)" (in Greek).
" (Vlchoi)" (in Greek).
"Studies on the Vlachs" (in Greek).
"Hoara Armneasc" (in Romanian).
"Bana Armneasc" (in Aromanian). Archived from the original on 2002-01-23.
"Cincari" (in Serbian).
"Srpsko-Cincarsko Drutvo "Lunjina"" (in Serbian and English).
"The Society Farsarotul". Archived from the original on 7 December 2004.
"Council of Macedonarmns".
"Union der Mazedoromanen aus Deutschland E.V." (in German).
Blogs[edit]
"Tr Armnami" (in Aromanian).
"B (Vlachfonoi lliines)" (in Greek).
" " - " (Sovet na Mladi Vlasi
od Makedonija "Kristina Kostova - Gioga")" (in Macedonian).
[show] v t e
Greece Ethnic groups in Greece
[show] v t e
Eastern Christianity
Categories: AromaniansEthnic groups in AlbaniaEthnic groups in BulgariaEthnic
groups in EuropeEthnic groups in GreeceEthnic groups in the Republic of
MacedoniaEthnic groups in RomaniaEthnic groups in SerbiaEthnic groups in the
BalkansRomance peoples
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