romaniote means A member of a Jewish population living in Greece, historically distinct from the Sephardim, who settled in Greece later. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 88 out of 100.
Why “romaniote” is a great word
ROMANIOTE — [Noun] A member of the historically distinct, Greek-speaking Jewish community indigenous to Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean, predating the later arrival of Sephardic Jews. From the Ancient Greek Ῥωμανιῶτες (Rhōmaniôtes), meaning 'Roman' or 'Byzantine', referring to the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire. Unlike 'Sephardim' (exiles from Iberia) or 'Ashkenazim' (communities of Central Europe), the Romaniote is the autochthonous Jew of the Byzantine world. Their identity is inscribed in the Greek of their liturgy, the distinct architecture of their synagogues, and the continuity of a presence measured by stubborn, abiding inhabitation—a quiet testament that not all Jewish history is a story of departure, but sometimes of ancient, steadfast dwelling.
noun
- A member of a Jewish population living in Greece, historically distinct from the Sephardim, who settled in Greece later.“Native (Romaniote) Jews submerged hy increasing numbers of Sephardi Jews plus the Karaites constituted the three main communities.”