ywekher يوخر
Algerian Darja · verb
“ywekher” (يوخر) is a verb in Algerian Darja meaning to move back, step back.
Meanings
- to move back, step back
- to move aside, step away
- to move something back, push away
Usage
Wekher is a very common verb throughout Algeria. It is heard mostly in the imperative: "wekher!" means "move back!" or "move over!". It is a familiar command, sometimes curt, addressed to someone who is in the way. "Wekher l'lour" means "move back", and "wekher men hna" translates as "get away from here". The verb is also transitive: "wekher tomobil" means "move the car back", and "wekher el koursi" "move the chair aside". The transitive use may be surprising, since the same word serves both for moving oneself back and for moving an object backward. The tone varies with intonation: it can be softened with "chwiya".
Example
وخّر شوية، راك حابس الطريق
wekher chwiya, rak habes triq
“Move back a bit, you're blocking the way.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, it is written “ywekher”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.