bechkir بشكير
Algerian Darja · noun
“bechkir” (بشكير) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning towel.
Meanings
- towel
- napkin, cloth
Usage
Bechkir refers to a towel, especially a bath towel, and sometimes a table napkin or a small cloth. It is an old borrowing from Turkish, well established in urban speech, notably in Algiers and Constantine. Elsewhere, and among young people, you often hear "serviette" pronounced the French way, or "manchfa". The usual plural is "bchakir". It is associated with the hammam: "jib bechkir" means "bring a towel". The word has a somewhat traditional flavor, without being dated.
Example
عطيني البشكير نمسح يديا
a3tini el bechkir nmseh yeddiya
“Give me the towel, so I can wipe my hands.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “bechkir” but also “bachkir”, “beshkir” and “bshkir”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.