chaver

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Pronunciations

chaver (chah-VAIR) listen

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Definitions

  • n. (in left-wing political organizations) Comrade, mister.

  • n. (male) A friend.

Example Sentences

  • "He's my closest chaver." (Rosten)

  • "The chair now recognizes Chaver Falstein." (Rosten)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish
  • Modern Hebrew

Etymology

  • TH חבר > MH חבר khaver, Y חבֿר khaver

      • Who Uses This

      • Israel: Diaspora Jews who feel connected to Israel and have spent time there
      • Organizations: People involved in a professional or volunteer capacity with Jewish nonprofit organizations

      Regions

      • North America
      • Australia / New Zealand
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa

      Dictionaries

      • The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).
      • Yiddish and English: A Century of Yiddish in America, by Sol Steinmetz (Tuscaloosa, 1986).
      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).

      Alternative Spellings

      haver, khaver

Notes

  • Chaver's female counterpart is khaverte.

    The Modern Hebrew word chaver was made popular throughout the world by Bill Clinton in his eulogy for Yitzhak Rabin: "Shalom, chaver."

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