ya7gar يحڨر
Algerian Darja · verb
“ya7gar” (يحڨر) is a verb in Algerian Darja meaning to humiliate, look down on someone.
Meanings
- to humiliate, look down on someone
- to oppress, treat unjustly
- to bully the weaker
Usage
Ya7guer (past 7gar) means treating someone with contempt or injustice by taking advantage of a position of strength: a boss, an official, a stronger person crushing a weaker one. It takes a direct object: ya7guer fih or directly ya7gourni (he despises me). The derived noun 7ogra (contempt, injustice suffered) is very present in Algerian social and political discourse, and 7aggar refers to the one who oppresses. The word is stronger than "to ignore": it implies a humiliation felt as unjust. The g is pronounced hard, as in "garage".
Example
ما تحڨرش الناس على خاطر راك لابس مليح.
Ma t7guerch ennas 3la khater rak labes mli7.
“Don't look down on people because you are well dressed.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ya7gar” but also “ye7gar”, “ya7guer” and “yahgar”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.