I am looking for the origin of the name "chabbi". Can you provide the
meaning (if existing) for this name as well please ?

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Clarification of Question by till-ga on 23 Nov 2003 01:09 PST

I forgot to mention that chabbi is a family name.

Hi Till,

 In Arabic, Chabbi derives from the word "chab", which means people.
"Chabbiyeh" translates to popularity.

The best meaning for Chabbi would be "popular with people".

Regarding the origin of the word, unfortunately I am unable to give
any specific information. To the best of my knowledge, it most
probably originates from the Middle East, or even North Africa.
However I cannot be sure from which country.

Incidentally, I haven't heard of the family name Chabbi here. But it
could possibly be a surname in another Arab country.


Search strategy:
My knowledge of the Arabic language


I know this isn't much but I hope it helps a little. If there is
anything else I can further assist you with please don't hesitate to
ask.

Best regards,
rainbow-ga

Thanks a lot for a quick answer. I was not aware that my question was
that complex. Great to have an arabic native speaker in the google
researchers team.

This is tough one. I found two references that use the word 'chabbi'
in place of the word 'key', . The first is used to describe a
Pakistani word for 'key pill', and the second - seemingly more modern
use, uses the word to define a 'key' to a door.

"It is already a bigseller, thanks to the fact that, in the eyes of
the consumer, it is the ?Key? pill (or more accurately the ?Chabbi?
pill, in the local language Urdu)...."

http://www.futuresgroup.com/Documents/Social_Marketing_Brands.pdf


"Anu: I'm locked out?
Sanjana: Hmmmm
Anu: Open the door, don't have the chabbi..."
http://www.bharatmatrimony.com/matchmaker/articlefeb28e.html

Good question. I hope someone will be able to help you further.

SgtCory

Till, 

I found several people from Northern Africa with that name, that might
be of Berber origin (although I found reference of it to be of Arabic
origin). The word "Chabi" in Morocco and Algiers refers to a type of
music ("Chabbi or popular music in Morocco has borrowed modern
instruments and themes from the West but continues to derive most of
its inspiration from closer to home. " - About Morocco
<http://www.knet.co.za/slmorocco/about.htm>); "His music was
particularly Chabbi, the popular song that originated in Algiers in
the early decades of this century. Sung initially in Arabic, it soon
adapted by Kabyle musicians and performed in Berber. Chabbi became
politicised and protest-songs." Salaam Knowledge
<http://www.salaam.co.uk/knowledge/biography/viewentry.php?id=1040>).

Hi Till,

Thank you for the rating and glad I could be of help. Actually I'm not
a native Arabic speaker. It's my second language after living here for
so long. :)

Best regards,
rainbow~

hello it is my family name . so i can tell some thing about the
meaning of the name chabbi as it is discribed with 2b at the end cause
there is some family names like this one chabi . the origin of the
name chabbi is berber by now the location is north africa there is
people in algeria tunisia and morocco with same name also a kind of
music but it is discribed like this chaabi . finally the chabbi family
has jews ancesters in parts of north africa they have settled there
just before the roman conquest of the region in some 300 B.C
I AM ALSO INTERESTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE SUBJECT. WITH ALL MY GRATITUDE.