''Ars'' ( he, ערס '), or ''Arsim'' (the plural in Hebrew) is a derogatory
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
slang term derived from the Arabic word for pimp. It is usually used to denote a certain
ethnic stereotype
An ethnic stereotype, racial stereotype or cultural stereotype involves part of a system of beliefs about typical characteristics of members of a given ethnic group, their status, societal and cultural norms. A national stereotype, or nation ...
: low-class men of
Mizrahi origin who associate with a certain
macho subculture.
An ''ars'' is typically crude, uses vulgar language, hangs out with criminal types and wears flashy clothing and jewelry.
Etymology
The origin of the term is from Arabic word ''Arts'' ( ar, عرص, ') – which means shepherd, and is used colloquially to refer to pimps (who "shepherd" prostitutes).
History
While ''ars'' originated as a derogatory term for Mizrahim, it is also used for members of other ethnicities in Israeli society,
such as
Russian-speaking immigrants or young men of
Ethiopian
Ethiopians are the native inhabitants of Ethiopia, as well as the global diaspora of Ethiopia. Ethiopians constitute several component ethnic groups, many of which are closely related to ethnic groups in neighboring Eritrea and other parts of ...
origin.
In 2013, an Israeli labor court ruled that a prospective employer discriminated against a Mizrahi applicant by calling him an ''ars''.
This case set the precedent for recognizing the term ''ars'' as a racial epithet.
In 2014, a documentary series called ''Arsim uFrekhot'' (frekha is a feminine equivalent epithet aimed at Mizrahi women) was broadcast on Israeli television. The series examines the history of discrimination against Mizrahim and the social norms of white privilege versus Mizrahi marginalization as they appear in Israeli society.
The mannerisms associated with pimps in the early days of the State of Israel, which formed the basis of the stereotypical ars: lack of education, associating with criminals, being prone to violence, hailing from low class neighborhoods, dressing in loud clothing, wearing gold chain necklaces or bracelets and using vulgar speech.
Related terms used by the Ashkenazi majority were "pushtak" (vacuous) and "tchakh-chakh" (riffraff).
Sometimes the word ars is "feminized" by adding a feminine suffix (''arsit''), although it is not commonly used for women. The word frekha is the closest feminine epithet that is applied to Mizrahi women.
A "''frekha''" is the implied partner, neighbor, or relative of the ''ars'', but the characteristics ascribed to her are different – the ''frekha'' is low-class, dresses gaudily, wears too much makeup, has long and brightly colored nails; she is flighty, shallow, a slave to fashion, and uneducated.
See also
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Maroco sakin
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Jojo Khalastra
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Chav
"Chav" (), also "charver", "scally" and "roadman" in parts of England, is a British term, usually used in a pejorative way. The term is used to describe an anti-social lower-class youth dressed in sportswear.
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*
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* "Chavette" is a related t ...
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Gopnik
A gopnik (russian: гопник, gopnik, ; uk, гопник, hopnyk; be, гопнік, hopnik) is a member of a delinquent subculture in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and in other former Soviet republics — a young man (or a woman, a ''gopnits ...
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Guido (slang)
''Guido'' (, ) is a North American subculture and ethnic slur or slang term, often derogatory, for a working-class urban Italian-American. The guido stereotype is multi-faceted. Originally, the term was used as a demeaning term for Italian- ...
*
Greaser
References
{{reflist
Arabic words and phrases
Class-related slurs
Hebrew slang
Mizrahi Jewish culture in Israel
Ethnic and religious slurs
Racism in Israel
Slang terms for men
Stereotypes of working-class men
Working class in Asia