chav

Etymology

The origin is uncertain, but it is probably Angloromani. Compare Romani chavi (“male child”) or ćhavo, shavo (“female child”), chal (“boy”), and chavvy (“mate, friend”); compare also Swedish tjej. It is possibly cognate with Portuguese chavalo, Spanish chaval, German Chabo, Russian чувак (čuvak), and Hungarian csávó. See also charva. Derivations from council-housed and violent or Cheltenham average (and similar) are folk-etymological backronyms.