LL-L "Etymology" 2003.04.20 (01) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

======================================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L * 20.APR.2003 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 http://www.lowlands-l.net  * admin at lowlands-l.net * Encoding: Unicode UTF-8
 Rules & Guidelines: http://www.lowlands-l.net/rules.htm
 Posting Address: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org
 Server Manual: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html
 Archives: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html
=======================================================================
 You have received this because you have been subscribed upon request.
 To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l" as message
 text from the same account to <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or
 sign off at <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
=======================================================================
 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
 L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
 S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
=======================================================================

From: Sandy Fleming [sandy at scotstext.org]
Subject: "Etymology"

> >My first hunch was that this "chava" could have been introduced
> from Romany
> >or Polari, but searches yielded nothing promising.
>
> This seems to be the same as "charver", which has various senses,
> and which
> is *possibly* from Polari or Romany: see for example slang dictionaries
by
> Partridge, Green; or on the Web
>
> http://www.odps.org/
>
> (probably the pertinent sense, = "kappa slapper" etc.)
>
> http://www.dictionaryofslang.co.uk/
>
> (= "boy" etc.; see also "chavvy")

Having looked at these dictionaries you mentioned and
discussed the word further with English-of-England speakers
I now realise that I had got the meaning wrong and it
actually means the same as many other slang terms such as
"pikey", "kev" (a male "pikey"), "sharon" (female "pikey")
and so on. It descibes people who wear Kappa clothing
(shellsuits particularly), wear chunky gold jewellery such
as medallions and coin rings and so on. I've also now seen
it spelled chava, charve (typo?), charver and perhaps in other
ways related to the typical "peninsula/peninsular" error seen
in the writing of English-English speakers.

A Glasgow woman told me that the Glasgow word for it is
"ned" - which has been discussed on this list before.

These are fascinating dictionries. Maybe I should contribute -
where are the doomcookies? Where are the spookykids?  :)

But I think I'm going to steer clear of trying to define "Kappa slapper"!


> From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Etymology
>
> Doug (above, who quoted Sandy Fleming, by the way):
>
> > (= "boy" etc.; see also "chavvy")
>
> That seems to go back to Romany _chavi_ '(Roma) girl' or _chavo_ '(Roma)
> boy' (as opposed to _rakli_ and _raklo_ in reference to non-Roma girls
and
> boys respectively).

One person said that it originally meant "gypsy" when
it was used in English, but the meaning changed, some
sort of transference from the large gold earrings associated
with the Romas (at this point I copy Ron's word down and
hopefully pluralise it correctly in an effort to sound
politically correct!) to the chunky gold jewellery of the
pikey.

Sandy
http://scotstext.org/

==================================END===================================
* Please submit postings to <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>.
* Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.
* Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
* Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
  to be sent to <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or at
  <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 =======================================================================