Beur
Encyclopedia
Beur is a colloquial term to designate French-born people whose parents are immigrants from North Africa
. The word was coined by reversing the syllables
of the word arabe, which means Arabic or Arab in French. For example, "arabe" becomes "a-ra-beu" then "beu-ra-a" and "beur" by contraction. The term is slightly familiar and not advised in formal speech with respect to etiquette
. Beurs have their origin in the countries of the Maghreb
(Morocco
, Tunisia
and Algeria
). In addition, the term Beur is also used to refer to all the Arabs from either Maghreb
or Mashreq areas of the Arab world
born in France
.
Since the late 1990s, a lot of young people have used the twice-verlan
ised term rebeu as a synonym. A female beur can be called a beurette. The word beurgeois
is derived from a combination of the words beur and bourgeois.
On Beur Literature:
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. The word was coined by reversing the syllables
Verlan
Verlan is an argot in the French language, featuring inversion of syllables in a word, and is common in slang and youth language. It rests on a long French tradition of transposing syllables of individual words to create slang words...
of the word arabe, which means Arabic or Arab in French. For example, "arabe" becomes "a-ra-beu" then "beu-ra-a" and "beur" by contraction. The term is slightly familiar and not advised in formal speech with respect to etiquette
Etiquette
Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group...
. Beurs have their origin in the countries of the Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
(Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
and Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
). In addition, the term Beur is also used to refer to all the Arabs from either Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
or Mashreq areas of the Arab world
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
born in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Since the late 1990s, a lot of young people have used the twice-verlan
Verlan
Verlan is an argot in the French language, featuring inversion of syllables in a word, and is common in slang and youth language. It rests on a long French tradition of transposing syllables of individual words to create slang words...
ised term rebeu as a synonym. A female beur can be called a beurette. The word beurgeois
Beurgeois
Beurgeois is a portmanteau neologism created in France from the words “beur” and “bourgeois”...
is derived from a combination of the words beur and bourgeois.
See also
- Demographics of FranceDemographics of FranceThis article is about the demographic features of the population of France, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects....
- Islam in FranceIslam in FranceIslam is the second most widely practiced religion in France by number of worshippers, with an estimated total of 5 to 10 percent of the national population.-Statistics:...
- Arabs in EuropeArabs in Europe- The Historical conquest :Arabs in Europe have a long history beginning with the Arab Empire when the Arabs conquered the Iberian peninsula, including what is now Spain and Portugal, and the island of Sicily in Italy. However, most of the Arabs of that time were expelled after the Reconquista...
- Arab diasporaArab diasporaArab diaspora refers to Arab immigrants, and their descendants who, voluntarily or as refugees, emigrated from their native lands and now reside in non-Arab countries, primarily in Latin America, and Europe, as well as North America and South Asia, parts of Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and West...
- Neuilly sa mère !Neuilly sa mère !Neuilly sa mère ! is a 2009 French comedy film directed by Gabriel Julien-Laferrière. It stars Samy Seghir as a beur teenager who moves from the housing projects to the upscale neighborhood of Neuilly-sur-Seine...
Further reading
- Nora Barsali, François Freland and Anne-Marie Vincent (Hg.): Générations Beurs. Français à part entière. Éditions Autrement 2003
- Philippe Bernard: La crème des beurs. De l’immigration à l’intégration. Seuil 2004
- Hafid Gafaïti (Hg.): Cultures transnationales de France. Des «Beurs» aux… ? L’Harmattan 2001
On Beur Literature:
- Alec G. Hargreaves: La littérature beur: Un guide bio-bibliographique. CELFAN Edition Monographs, New Orleans 1992
- Alec G. Hargreaves: Voices from the North African Immigrant Community in France. Immigration and Identity in Beur Fiction. Berg, New York/ Oxford 1991/1997
- Michel Laronde: Autour du roman beur. Immigration et identité. L’Harmattan 1993
External links
- La Beurgeoisie The French website for successful "Beurs".