"Peter Parry" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 11:36:18 +0100, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:


They don't seem to be acronyms, what's the derivation?

Apparently the word chav has become common in southern England, and
is generally thought to come from "Chatham girls". Similar bits of
the mud from the urban gene pool are called charver (North East),
scalley (Liverpool) , ned (non-educated delinquent), or chor in other
parts of the country.

I'm definitely missing out on these ... although I've heard of scalleys.
Perhaps I'll ask some grandchildren.

Some people think the word chav comes originally from the Romany word
chavo (boy), which is also the origin of the Spanish word chaval.

Since they have the same root that's likely :-)

Originally possibly from a Sanskrit word 'chhaapaa' meaning 'young
one',

The root of all our languages ... thinks ... chap?

Thanks, Peter.

Mary


--
Peter Parry.
http://www.wpp.ltd.uk/