What does the word 'chav' mean?

Question

What does the word 'chav' mean?

Answer 1

A chav is a noun. Its a stereotype. Usually associated with fake gold jewellery, burberry clothing saying slang like "enit" "brup" and "blud".

People say the smoke, shoplift and go to macdonalds. Listen to Rnb, hiphop Rave and Grime music.  

Answer 2

Well, all my friends say it stands for

Council House And Violence.

But certainly not all people from council houses are violent so i don't believe in that i just think.

Tracksuits. Trainers (nike, adidias).Gold chains.

And some people think it means wearing sports clothes when they arent even going to do sport.

Answer 3

CHAV stands for Council Housed Associated Vermin

Answer 4

an english lad who wears tracksuits nd smokes nd drinks nd probably has a child at 15

Answer 5

basically, someone common

Answer 6

The word "charva" has been in use in the North East of England since at least the early 1990s. The word "chav" has also been in use in Medway in Kent since at least the early 1990s. The two words are identical in meaning but it is possible that they may be etymologically distinct.

A possible etymology for "chav" is that it derives from the Romani word "chavi", meaning a child. Related words derived from the same source include "charva" meaning prostitute (used in north-east England in a similar sense). In modern Spanish "chaval", "chavo" or "chavón" means "lad" (eg: El Chavo, a Mexican television comedy whose principal character is a street orphan).The term "chavvy", for child or young person, is known to have migrated from Romani into the local dialects of Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire in the post-war years, coming into common usage in the late 1940s.

Many folk etymologies have sprung up around the word. These include backronyms such as "Council Housed And Violent" and "Council House Adolescent Vermin". It has also been suggested that pupils at Cheltenham Ladies' College and Cheltenham College used the word to describe the younger men of the town ("Cheltenham Average").

Picture this a young lad about 12 years of age and 4 ½ feet high baseball cap at ninety degrees in a imitation addidas tracksuit, with trouser legs tucked into his socks (of course, is definitely the height of fashion). This lad is strutting around, f*g in one hand jewellery al over the over, outside McDonalds acting as if he is 8 foot tall and built like a rugby player, when some poor unsuspecting adult (about 17/18) walks round the corner wanting to go to mcdonalds for his dinner glances at the young lad, the young lad jumps up in complete disgust and says “Whats your problem? Wanna make sommin of it? Bling Bling” when the adult starts to walk towards the young lad, the young lad pisses himself and runs off to either his pregnant 14-year-old girlfriend or his brother in the army crying his eyes out.

Answer 7

Lol I asked that as soon as I moved to London.

It's like a Ned in Scotland.  

Burrberry, caps, track suits, gold jewelery etc

Answer 8

it stands for 'council house and violent'...!!

Answer 9

CHAV = Council Housed And Violent!!

I kid ye not!  But of course the wikipedia definition is a little more politically correct ;-)

Answer 10

Chav (pronounced /ʧæv/), or Charv/Charva (pronounced /ʧɑːv/), is a mainly derogatory slang term in the United Kingdom for a person whose lifestyle, clothing (especially if fake / counterfeit), speech and/or mannerisms are perceived to be common, proletarian and vulgar. The term 'chav' is often used as a stereotype to refer to poorly educated, aggressive working-class youths, but youth and aggression are not the defining attributes of a 'chav'.

The term appeared in mainstream dictionaries in 2005.[1][2] There are regional variations; in the North East of England the variant charv / charva is most commonly used (particularly in Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland areas), while in the South East of England and South West of England chav is the usual form. Similar words in use outside England include "neds" in Scotland and "spides" or "skangers" in Ireland.

Response to the term has ranged from amusement to criticism that it is a new manifestation of classism.[3] The term has also been associated with juvenile delinquency, the "ASBO Generation", "Hoodie culture", and "Yob culture".

Answer 11

Chav was in use in sussex in the 1970's (possibly earlier) as an informal greeting without any particular derogatory meaning. eg 'wotcher, chav' meaning 'hello mate' or 'yo, dude'