chiyat شيات
Algerian Darja · noun
“chiyat” (شيات) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning servile flatterer of those in power.
Meanings
- servile flatterer of those in power
- toady to a boss
Usage
The chiyat is someone who flatters power, an official or a boss without restraint, and defends everything they do. The word is very present in political debate, on social media and in comments. It is pejorative and used to discredit someone. The related verb is chiyet, "to flatter, to suck up", and the act is called tchiyat. The feminine is chiyata and the plural chiyatine. The term is informal and mocking, but not vulgar. Note: it doesn't just mean a liar. It specifically targets self-interested servility toward an authority.
Example
هاذا غير شيات، يشكر في المدير على كلش.
hada ghir chiyat, ychker fel mdir 3la kolch.
“He's just a bootlicker, he praises the director for everything.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chiyat” but also “chayat”, “shiyat”, “chiyyat” and “chyat”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.