posted
I am Egyptian and I only see the word "kalesh" on ES and other boards. So what is it anyway? What is a kalesh boy? And is it something/someone unique to Luxor because I did ask around and found no one knows the meaning of the word.
Posts: 850 | Registered: Jan 2003
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If not - A calleche is a horse drawn carriage that is used for transport in southern Egypt - like a taxi. Costs 3 LE to get wherever you want to go, unless you are a trourist and then it costs whatever the driver can get out of you.
The drivers? Well as they mix with tourists a lot, they take advantage of the situation and "entertain" their clients with personal services.
quote:Originally posted by Luxorlover: Kimo - are you joking?
If not - A calleche is a horse drawn carriage that is used for transport in southern Egypt - like a taxi. Costs 3 LE to get wherever you want to go, unless you are a trourist and then it costs whatever the driver can get out of you.
The drivers? Well as they mix with tourists a lot, they take advantage of the situation and "entertain" their clients with personal services.
No actually I am dead serious. I used to think that kalesh simply meant male prostitute till I read about people riding a kalesh to their hotel and I thought that's a bit hardcore.
I do know what a horse drawn carriage is but in Cairo we call it a caretta! Does anyone know if kalesh is an upper Egyptian word or one which was made up by tourists because it sure doesn't sound Arabic to me.
posted
The carriages are well decorated with brass ornaments and have upholstered seats and hoods to protect passengers from the sun. Some of the horses are not well cared for though and have their ribs showing. Very sad.
Posts: 2235 | From: Jail | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
Kimo, it's a 'hantour' in Arabic, like the ones you see around the Cairo tower. Caleche is a french word, I believe. I'd never heard of it either till a couple of years ago.
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posted
Could be a local bastardization of english word "carriage", like "Shattab" derived from english "shut up".
Posts: 35 | From: Cairo, Egypt | Registered: Jun 2004
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Calèche is a French word for carriage or HANTOUR...in Arabic as citizen said... but the word comes from a CZECH (Slovakian) sports car that was named: KOLESA, that was popular, circa 1646...
Caretta is Italian for a sort of carriage....or carrier...used in Egypt since the 40's influenced by the Italian wave towards Egypt at the time.
Same thing for example for the word ROBBA BECCHIA...that you must hear in the morning in the streets of Cairo or Alexandria...it is not Arabic, but pronounced the Egyptian way, for saying ROBA VECCHIA ..Italian, for Old clothes
quote:Originally posted by citizen: Kimo, it's a 'hantour' in Arabic, like the ones you see around the Cairo tower. Caleche is a french word, I believe. I'd never heard of it either till a couple of years ago.
[This message has been edited by Monica (edited 01 July 2004).]
quote:Originally posted by kimo_the_maniac: I am Egyptian and I only see the word "kalesh" on ES and other boards. What is a kalesh boy? And is it something/someone unique to Luxor because I did ask around and found no one knows the meaning of the word.
[b]Calèche is a French word for carriage or HANTOUR...in Arabic as citizen said... but the word comes from a CZECH (Slovakian) sports car that was named: KOLESA, that was popular, circa 1646...
Caretta is Italian for a sort of carriage....or carrier...used in Egypt since the 40's influenced by the Italian wave towards Egypt at the time.
Same thing for example for the word ROBBA BECCHIA...that you must hear in the morning in the streets of Cairo or Alexandria...it is not Arabic, but pronounced the Egyptian way, for saying ROBA VECCHIA ..Italian, for Old clothes
[This message has been edited by Monica (edited 01 July 2004).][/B]
Yes of course I know caretta has Italian origins like gilati and biliacho and farawla (all in Egyptian spelling). I just said that's what we call it in Cairo.
But thanks a lot citizen and monica, it was nice to know where that word came from. Monica, how the hell do you know all this stuff?
quote:Originally posted by kimo_the_maniac: Yes of course I know caretta has Italian origins like gilati and biliacho and farawla (all in Egyptian spelling). I just said that's what we call it in Cairo.
But thanks a lot citizen and monica, it was nice to know where that word came from. Monica, how the hell do you know all this stuff?
[This message has been edited by Monica (edited 01 July 2004).]
posted
sorry...KOLESA mean wheels. Not carriage, not a car name.
By the way, the car name SKODA, is also slang that doesn't have an exact english equivalent but roughly translates into "oh, that's too bad (that you had bad luck)"
always found it funny that they named a car that (though, it is also a czech surname).
Got my info according to the Classic French Larousse (lexis/dictionary)1979 edition, that says calèche is derived from the CZECH word KOLESA described as a 'type' of 4 wheels automobile with a front high seat, and open hood/sports type ~ existing circa 1646.
French: 'voiture hyppomobile à 4 roues, découverte, munie en avant avec un siège à dossier'.
quote:Originally posted by ExptinCAI: sorry...KOLESA mean wheels. Not carriage, not a car name.
By the way, the car name SKODA, is also slang that doesn't have an exact english equivalent but roughly translates into "oh, that's too bad (that you had bad luck)"
always found it funny that they named a car that (though, it is also a czech surname).
[This message has been edited by Monica (edited 01 July 2004).]
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