''Beur'' (or alternatively, ''Rebeu'') is a colloquial term, sometimes considered pejorative, in
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
to designate European-born people whose parents or grandparents are immigrants from the
Maghreb. The equivalent term for a female beur is a beurette. The term ''rebeu'' is neither applicable to females nor does it have a female version.
Use
The word beur was coined using
verlan for the word ''arabe'', which means Arabic or Arab in French. Since the late 1990s, many young people have used the twice-
verlanised term ''rebeu'' as a synonym. This term is now the dominant term used by the younger generations (under 30). The word ''beurette'', the female version of ''beur'', is created by adding the -ette female suffix in French. In French many slang words are created by simply reversing the word in terms of spelling and then reading it out. Because of French grammar rules, the new word is usually completely different from the result of reversing the word phonetically. The word ''
beurgeois'' is derived from a combination of the words ''beur'' and ''
bourgeois
The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. They ...
''.
The term is mostly used in French-speaking European countries ― France, Belgium, Monaco, Luxembourg and Switzerland ― as well as in the
Maghreb. Due to cultural integration between such peoples across Europe, the term is now popular in other parts of Europe with a large Maghrebi community, such as the UK, Spain, the Netherlands and Italy.
Since 1992, the
BEUR.FM radio station has broadcast nationwide (106.7
FM in
Paris).
BEUR.FM
Accessed 2012-01-11
Image:Zinedine Zidane 2008.jpg, A beur ( kabyle) sportsman :
Zinédine Zidane.
Image:Rachid Taha.jpg, A beur rockstar :
Rachid Taha.
Image:Leïla Bekhti Cannes 2014 2.jpg, A beur actress :
Leïla Bekhti.
Image:Ramzy Bedia Cannes 2012.jpg, A beur humorist :
Ramzy Bedia.
Image:Rachida dati.jpg, A beur politician :
Rachida Dati.
Image:Ali Baddou César 2016.jpg, A beur intellectual :
Ali Baddou
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...
.
See also
* Maghrebis
* Maghrebi communities of Paris
*Berbers in France
Berbers in France are people of Berber descent living in France. Berbers in France, who generally call themselves Berbers, are estimated to number over 2 million people.Yazid Sabeg et Laurence MéhaignerieLes oubliés de l'égalité des chances In ...
* Arabs in France
* Arabs in Europe
* Maghrebi Jews
* Pied-Noir
* Demographics of France
* Islam in France
* Arab diaspora
*'' Neuilly sa mère !''
References
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
* Laura Reeck: ''Writerly Identities in Beur Fiction and Beyond''. Lexington Books 2011
External links
La Beurgeoisie
The French website for successful "Beurs".
{{Authority control
Society of France
French words and phrases
French people of Arab descent
Arabs in France
Berbers in France