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The Romanisael (also known as Swedish Roma and Norwegian Roma, or Swedish Taters and Norwegian Taters) are a Romani people subgroup who have been resident in Sweden and Norway for some 500 years. The estimated number of Romanisael in Sweden is 65,000, while in Norway, the number is estimated to be around 10,000. (2002). 9789287149176, Council of Europe Online Bookshop. ISBN 9789287149176
Modern-day Romanisael (Tater) are the descendants of the first Roma who arrived in Scandinavia during the 16th century. Most were deportees from Great Britain to Norway, but small numbers came via Denmark. Norwegian and Swedish Romani identify as Romanisæl; this word has origins in the Angloromani word Romanichal. Romanichal is the word that Romani in England, the Scottish Border and parts of southern Wales use to identify themselves.
The Kaale (or Kàlo) are descendants of early Scandinavian Roma who were deported in the 17th century from Sweden proper to Finland. The Kaale, however, maintain that their ancestors migrated from Scotland.
Romanisael in Norway at times have been confused with the indigenous Norwegian Travellers, although they perceive the latter group to be non-Roma by culture and origins.
The terms tatere and tattare hint to the original misconception that the Romani in Sweden and Norway were Tatars. In Sweden, tattare is now considered a disparaging term and has been completely abandoned in official use. For Romanisael in Norway however, the name tatere is severely disputed. It does not carry the same stigma as in Sweden; their Norwegian counterparts have fought for the same rights as Swedish Romanisael for many years. Some Romani organizations maintain this term in their official names.
Skojare was a name sometimes used for Romanisael in Sweden;S.v. "Skojare", Gösta Bergman, Ord med historia (Stockholm: Prisma, 2003), pp. 536–7. in Norway skøyere was associated with indigenous Travellers. Fant or fanter was a term formerly applied to both Romanisael and non-Romani Travellers in southern Norway. Many of these terms nowadays are considered pejorative due to their connotation of vagabondage and vagrancy.Cf. Skojare from Svenska Akademiens ordbok.
Since 2000, Romanisael in Sweden are counted as part of the romer national minority, which also includes Kalderash Roma who have arrived from Central and Eastern Europe since the late 19th century and more recent Roma migrants. In Norway, Romanisael are categorized as a national minority group, officially referred to as romanifolk, romanifolket or tatere. In contrast to Sweden, in Norway a distinction is made between romanifolket and rom (i.e., Roma groups that arrived since the 19th century) in the official legislation on national minorities.
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