beur

Beur is a French sociolinguistic term used to describe a person of Maghrebi origin, especially someone born or raised in France. The label is closely associated with the second generation of North African immigrants—primarily from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia—and with urban youth. The word is generally described as a verlan form of arabe and emerged in the French street and youth culture of the 1980s as a self-identification by some members of that generation.

As an identity marker, beur has been used to signal both a shared heritage and a negotiation of belonging in French society. Beur communities have contributed to French arts, music, politics and sports, and the term has appeared in academic discussions of immigration, integration, discrimination, and pluralism. In cultural production, expressions of beur identity have been prominent in film, literature and popular music, often exploring experiences of navigation between two cultures.

Acceptance of the term varies. Some people of Maghrebi origin in France view beur as a positive, reclaimed label that foregrounds cultural roots; others see it as outdated, or as a stereotype. The feminine counterpart beurette has appeared in past usage but is widely criticized today for potential objectification, and contemporary usage often avoids it or treats it carefully. Overall, beur remains a contested label, whose meaning shifts with generations, contexts, and debates about assimilation, racism and identity in France.