General
charva
What does charva mean?
A rowdy young lad, tracksuit-and-attitude type, the Newcastle flavour of what the rest of England calls a chav. Can be neutral ('the charvas down the bus stop') or properly dismissive.
"Couple of charvas were knocking about outside the Greggs."
Origin
From Romani 'chavo' (boy/lad). The Geordie 'charva' predates and arguably birthed the national 'chav'.
Frequently asked questions
What does charva mean?
It's a Geordie term for a rough, swaggering youth — an ancestor of the word 'chav.'
How do you use charva in a sentence?
"A gang of charvas were hanging about outside the shop."
Is charva related to chav?
Yes, it's the Geordie forerunner of the more widely used word 'chav.'
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