Life is .... a chaos between two silences (Beckett) ...
they lived und laughed ant loved end left (Joyce)
But A language is ... a dialect with a Department of Education and firm grasp of the curriculum.
To all those journalists, purported English speakers and those who think they have mastered English and the rest of us simple readers...
Explain the pun: 1. Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
2. Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
3. Prostitutes Appeal to Pope 4. Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over 5. Teacher Strikes Idle Kids
6. Miners Refuse to Work after Death 7. Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead 8. Man Struck By Lightning Faces Battery Charge 9. Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges 10. Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Underline the ambiguous words in the following headlines
1a) Include your children when baking cookies.
1b) Drunks get nine years in violin case.
1c) Iraqi head seeks arms.
1d) Teacher strikes idle kids.
1e) Clinton wins budget - more lies ahead.
2a) New study of obesity looks for larger test group.
2b) Two sisters reunited after 18 years in checkout counter.
2c) If strike isn't settled quickly, it may last a while.
When Eric Morecambe appeared on stage dressed entirely in black, nursing a skull, even the slightly obtuse Ernie immediately realized what was in the offing: Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
Death was no laughing matter. And when Morecambe and Wise debated the wisdom of switching to ‘the serious stuff’ like Shakespeare, they looked to their competitors Olivier and Gielgud, who played Shakespeare’s tragedies to packed houses every single week.
As Eric remarked in a mixture of envy and bemusement, ‘They charge £3 per seat . . . and they don’t get any laughs’.
Bit 1. - The Morecambe and Wise partnership lasted 1968-83. ‘There’s too much lust for money in this world and not enough fun’, remarks Eric Morecambe in one of this warm Edinburgh Fringe hit’s more on the nose moments.
To check how our lifes have changed over these tour decades, read how we celebrated Christmas in 1975. Their Christmas Show on BBC in 1977 scored one of the highest ever audiences in British television history with more than 20 million viewers. In 1999 Morecambe was voted the funniest person of the 20th century in a British internet poll; Eric pulled in 26 percent of the votes.
Bit 2. - Ernie and Eric. Their sketch looks so much like the classic Magnusson Mastermind. Morecambe and Wise sketch, which really featured Magnus Magnusson.
Ernie plays a know-all professor who really does answer all the questions before they are asked, and Eric is a chancer who cons his way through, but looks set to lose on the last geography question, indeed a long one, where Eric has to complete the phrase – Khyber
MadamTussauds models -Wax museum
Bit 3. - In the 1970s, they were a national institution.Celebrities from Andre Previn to Diana Rigg queued to appear on their show. But almost every gag which came out of the mouths of Morecambe and Wise in their heyday was put there by Eddie Braben. His surreal and witty scripts transformed the duo's act, from the business in front of the curtains, to the pair's closing song.
LAUGHTERLOG. To learn about these two performers, click here
The first version of 146 lines of text appeared in an appendix to the author's 1920 textbook Drop Your Foreign Accent: engelsche uitspraakoefeningen, but "the most complete and authoritative version ever likely to emerge", published by The Spelling Society in 1992–93, has 274 lines.
BIT 1. Text
To demonstrate the flavour of the poem, the opening lines are:
These lines are set out as in the author's version, with alternate couplets indented and the problematic words italicised
Dearest creature in creation,Study English pronunciation.I will teach you in my verseSounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.I will keep you, Susy, busy,Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tearin eye, your dress willtear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.
Pray, console your loving poet,Make my coat look new, dear, sew it!Just compare heart, beard, and heard,Dies and diet, lord and word,Sword and sward, retain and Britain.(Mind the latter, how it's written.)Made has not the sound of bade,Say-said, pay-paid, laid, but plaid.
Now I surely will not plague youWith such words as vague and ague.But be careful how you speak:Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;Previous, precious, fuchsia, via; Cloven, oven, how and low,Script, receipt, shoe, poem, and toe.
TASK1. Read some reactions. Pick up the one you are closer to...:
Many words mispronounced. I am Canadian as well and have never heard "plait" prononounced like she did (British style - "platt"; American style - "plate")
To speak English, don't rely on an American, they live 3,000 miles away from England.
Well done for the most part and very helpful for us non-native speakers, but I'm sure your English teacher made many a mistake in pronouncing the uncommon words
BIT 3. the trials
Compare these two attempts on youtube.
A clear and slow reading of "The Chaos". Read along with our English teacher - she has a clear, Canadian accent. Use your headphones for extra clarity. Enjoy!
Option one.
Option two. Jimmy Jams
Even a native English speaker has to find this interesting. English must be a very old language, because how else could one explain the random way we pronounce words? I guess the one good thing that has come out of the chaos: spelling bees! ;)
“There is a truth for everyone, and no
one truth carries away all the others.” Paul Bowles
in Gina Dagel Caponi (1993) Conversations with Paul Bowles
Bowles was eager to get immersed into
the North African exotic culture. It nurtured himwith fresh material from an exotic culture. What are the distorted mirrors of his prism?
LEXICON by S. J. Altoma The Journal of North African Studies 164-172 Bowles is specifically credited for his pioneering effort to promote numerous Moroccan works he translated or adapted from Arabic and the Moroccan vernacular or ‘Moghrebi’ as he called it. What is unique about his role is the fact that he had no knowledge of Arabic and the fact that his command of Moroccan Arabic was questionable or less than adequate for him to undertake his translation projects without the use of an intermediary language. This essay will address both issues mainly on the basis of personal conversations I had with Mr Bowles in Tangier and a review of the Arabic words or phrases he used in his works. It will show that because of his lack of knowledge of Arabic, Bowles was led to maintain distorted views of the Arabic language and its literary and cultural heritage.
American
writer who sought to represent not only the views of his Moroccan characters but also their
native-spoken idiom.
Comments marked by (A) at the end
of selected entries represent Alami’s view as a native speaker of Fez dialect.
‘lah imsik bekheir/ Good night
Aachor Anniversary of the death of al-Husayn, the Prophet’s grand son.
Aallem/Muslim scholar, man of learning.
Abaden!: Never
Ach haddou laillaha illa’ Allah: I witness there is no God but Allah
Adoul: legal scribes, clerk of the court.
Abaden!: Never
Ach haddou laillaha illa’ Allah: I witness there is no God but Allah
Adoul: legal scribes, clerk of the court.
Abaden!: Never
Ach haddou laillaha illa’ Allah: I witness there is no God but Allah
Adoul: legal scribes, clerk of the court.
Affarit 1⁄4 afreet demon .places where evil spirits, djenoun and affarit abounded. . .
Agi agi [come] agi menah! Come here! Agi ts’awouni! Come help me!
Ahilan? Ahlan? Hello
Ahouache A Berber ceremony of the Anti-Atlas mountains that involves groups of dancers,
singers etc. . .
A ̈ıd: feast
A ̈ıd el Arche: The Feast of the Throne/King of Morocco’s coronation
A ̈ıd el Kebir: celebrates the culmination of the pilgrimage to Mecca
A ̈ıd el Seghir: the end of Ramadan/the month of Muslim Fasting-
Aissa
Aissa
Aissa/sidna aissa “taking care to keep Jesus distinct from the Moslem prophet Sidna Aissa” PB.
Aissoua: A Sufi brotherhood named after its founder Sidi Muhammad ben Aissa
Akchil/khlass men d’akchi “Just tell me that much and then shut up” PB.
Allah Akbar: God Is Great
Allah istir: God help us
Alleche/O alleche? For what? Why?
Amara: Festival in commemoration of a Muslim saint.
Ana? me ?Ana m’khallesik:[without/s/] I’ll pay. [I won’t let you]
Andaluz music: [Moroccan Andalusian music]
Ankabutz 1⁄4 ankabut: spider
Annah! Me!
Aoudas? Plural of oud? “Sometimes the men have fires and play songs on their aoudas” PB.
Annah! Me!
Aoudas? Plural of oud? “Sometimes the men have fires and play songs on their aoudas” PB.
Bab el guissa? [The name of a historical gate in the old medina of Fes]
Bab fteuh: Bab al-futuh? [A neighborhood in the nortrh eastern part of the Medina of Fes. It is
also the name of one of the historical gates of the old medina.]A
Bab mahrouk [the name of one of the historical gates in the old Medina of Fes]A
Babouches: slippers
Bacal! Grocery shop “she ran a bacal” PB.
Bakhour: incense
Balek: watch out
Baqal, Baqqal grocer, grocery shop
Baraka: blessing, quality possessed by holy men.
Baraka’llahoufik/ thank you:May God bless you.
Bastela: A Moroccan lozenge-shaped meat pie, covered in fillo dough
Baz! That’s perfect! [Expression of disbelief or surprise]A
B’cif: “of course”? [Hardly, perforce] A
B’d draa
Bastela: A Moroccan lozenge-shaped meat pie, covered in fillo dough
Baz! That’s perfect! [Expression of disbelief or surprise]A
B’cif: “of course”? [Hardly, perforce] A
B’d draa/ b’d drah 1⁄4 b’drab? : it’s got to by force
Beid el beita f’kerr el hmar “a white egg in a donkey’s anus” PB [Lay an egg in a donkey’s ass]
Beid el beita f’kerr el hmar “a white egg in a donkey’s anus” PB [Lay an egg in a donkey’s ass]
1⁄4beid el beida
Bel haq true, in truth
Belarhlikslem bzef: [meaning “baligh lak salam” i.e. sends you his greetings]A
Belgha
Bel haq true, in truth
Belarhlikslem bzef: [meaning “baligh lak salam” i.e. sends you his greetings]A
Belgha/an old pair of belgha:slippers
Bendir : tabor [a wooden frame drum with a membrane with two strings]A.
Berrada: jug
Berrani: outsider, stranger.
B’es-sahh (true)
Bhar el hamar? [I think he means bhal
Bendir : tabor [a wooden frame drum with a membrane with two strings]A.
Berrada: jug
Berrani: outsider, stranger.
B’es-sahh (true)
Bhar el hamar? [I think he means bhal. . .i.e. like a donkey (stupid)]
Bileche tabousni fi aynayah [from Abd al-Wahhab’s song] “why do you kiss me on the
Bileche tabousni fi aynayah [from Abd al-Wahhab’s song] “why do you kiss me on the
eyelids?”/152
Binatzkoum
Binatzkoum 1⁄4 binatkoum “that’s between you and them”/260
Bismil’lah ala maketseb allah 115 Bismilla (in the name of Gad) for what God has provided us
Bismil’lah ala maketseb allah 115 Bismilla (in the name of Gad) for what God has provided us
with
Bismillah in the name of God/
Bismillah rahman er rahim
Bit el Qots
Bit el Qots1⁄4 Bayt al-Quds Jerusalem
Bled: the land/the country/countryside
Bordj: fort/guard-post
B’sah? “really”
B’slemah: goodbye
Burnouses: hooded cloaks
B’sah? “really”
B’slemah: goodbye
Burnouses: hooded cloaks
Cabrhozels: a kind of pastry? Ordered two teas and two cabrhozels.
Caid 1⁄4 Qa’id) Chief. Local tribal chief. A term also used for an administrator or government
official.
Casbah, Kasbah:fortress, Muslim section of a town
Ch’ andek? What’s the matter with you? [what’s wrong? Used in the north Tangier and
Tetouan]A.
Chaikhat singing girls and dancers
Chechia: straw hat
Chehada: the brief profession of faith, see his use of ach haddou laillaha illa’ Allah
Cheikh, Cheikhs/chikh: elder, wise man, a title of respect, a leader of a group, such as “of a
group- of folk muscicians”.
Chemel: North, Rif.
Cherqi: eastern wind.
Chibb: [a kind of incense]A
Chkama, informers. I have seen a lot of chkama. . . Most drari like you end up by turning
informer; that’s not unuusal.
Chkhbarek? how are you?
Chkoun: Who/who’s there?
Chleuh the generic Moroccan term for Berbers.Specifically it refers to the Sousis
Chnou bghitisi ts’qoulli: What did you do want to tell me?
Chleuh the generic Moroccan term for Berbers.Specifically it refers to the Sousis
Chnou bghitisi ts’qoulli: What did you do want to tell me?
Chnou hada? “what are you doing?” or: [what’s this]A.
Chnou hadek el haraj? What is that noise? [Disturbance/commotion]A.
Chnou?“ what?
Chorfa (pl.of cherif) descendents of the Prophet)
Choual: the month of Shawwal: 10th month of the Islamic calendar.
Chouf: see, look
Chouwal: choual Shawwal
Chqaf/chqofa “he smoked many chqofa. . . he blew the hard ash out of the chqaf” PB. [the small
bowl of the Moroccan pipe called “sebsi.” The chqaf is filled up with cannabis or kif]
Chta: rain
Cirf halak/Cir fhallak/Go away
Dahir: Sultan’s Decree. “I shouldn’t be surprised if there were a dahir prohibiting ever those
simple subsitututes for partaking of sustenance” PB.
Darbou? Beat it/alleche bghitsidarbou? Khallih [why do you want to beat/hit him? Leave
him]A.
Darbouka large ceramic hand drum.
Deba labes enta? You feel better?
Dem: howling “ed dem”!“blood”
Derb: neighberhood, alley.
Derb el Heurra? (181) [the name of a street in of Fes]A.
Derri: child
Dirhams: Moroccan currency
Djaoui A resin incense, of a hard and rock-like appearance
Djebala: straight from the mountains [inhabitants of the mountainous area called djebala]
Djebel Zalagh [the name of the mountain that overlooks the Medina of Fes from the north. It is also the beginning of the Rif mountains]
Djellaba/djellabas Traditional Moroccan long-sleeved burnous/garment with hood. [worn by
both men and women]A.
Djemaa andaluz: andalus mosque.
Djenane es Sebir: Garden in Fes.
Djibli: peasant (perjorative) [from Jbala (from Arabic Jbel/ mountain). Djibli is an inhabitant of
Drbouka Large ceramic hand drum used in traditional music.
Drissiyine (descendents of the first dynasty) [Idrissids]
Echkoun Who?
Ed dounia mamzianche: the world was very bad, lit: the world is not good
Egless: sit
Eheud Incense associated with Moroccan Jews
El aidek mabrouk: holiday greetings
El hassil: Anyway
En noua(he had en noua)he knew that was a bad disease
Enta hmuq bzef: you’re very crazy
Enta m’douagh, he said with disgust. You’re crazy.
Entina ketsfham hsin minn hnaya:you understand better than we do
Entina ouahad rajel hsin: you are a fine man
Er rabi mabrhach God does’nt want it easy [God does/did not want it]
Essbar: wait.
Essmah Listen
Fasoukh: incense, of gummy texture, used to drive away sorcerers and malevolent spirits
Fasoukh and other incenses: I’m going to buy fasoukh and tib and nidd, and hasalaba and mske
and all the bakhour in the Djmaa, and put them in the mijmah? And burn them.
Fejr: Islamic dawn prayer
Fel louwil first
Fellah, fellahin: peasant, farmer
Fhemti? Did/do you understand
Fik ej jeuhor? Hungry?
Fik ej jeuhor? Hungry?/. [It should be: fik ju’]A.
Filfil: pepper
Fjer: dawn
Flouss:Generic term for money
Filfil: pepper
Fjer: dawn
Flouss:Generic term for money/small change
Fondaq
Fondaq/fondouq: “during the French occupation fondouq and fondaq were used interchnageably
to mean ‘hostelry’; present-day usage distinguishes bewteen a fondouq-a caravanserai where
animal are accommodated- and a fondaq, a hotel”. (Points in Time, 92).
Foundouk, fondouq: hotel
Fqih: holy man, religious scholar
Fraja: I was watching the fraja: mass dancing [the spectacle]A.
Fqih: holy man, religious scholar
Fraja: I was watching the fraja: mass dancing [the spectacle]A.
Gandoura: Long dress worn by both sexes. [Ghandoura is a traditional loosely fitting sleeveless
garment similar to djellaba but without hood]A
Gnaoua or gennaoua quasi-mystical brotherhood of blacks, known for dancing and sorcery.
From the Tuareg agnaw“black”
Gourba: [jug, jar]A
Guinbri: A Rustic flute, Plucked lute-like instrument [Also known as Guembri which is a three-
stringed instrument, like a lute, with a body made of log and covered with animal skin usually
played by the Gnawa people.]A.
Guirch: piaster?
Gzara (at the feet of the gzara) butcher
Hachouma: shame
Hada echouf This one sees.
Hadji: pilgrim
Haik: [a traditional outer garment consisting of a large piece of cloth worn by women. It covers
the woman from head to foot with only the eyes showing]A.
Haiti: traditional Moroccan wall-covering
Hamdou’llah Praise Be to God
Hammam: bathhouse
Hanout, hanoute: store. shop
Haouma: quarter “she [the Jewish woman] began to tell..that the Moslems in her haouma had
bought charms to use against her daughter” PB.
Haram sin prohibited see also Hachouma shame. “Shame and Sin were the most useful words in
the common people’s vocabulary” PB.
Harami: dishoest one, thief
Harira: Moroccan soup
Haroun- al -Rachid: “Some sort of native dramatic company which is presenting Haroun-al-
Raschid at Fez and soon at Tanger. (In Touch 89 from a letter October or November 1931 to
Aaron Copland).
Hasaluban Gum incense.frankincense.
Haschich: /hashish
Hasira: woven-grass mat
Hassil,el: anyway
H’dia “gift” he had the h’dia, the gift.
Hekaya: story;tale
Hindiyats :pricky pears[cactus fruit]
Hmuq: Crazy.
Horm: took sanctuary inside the horm of Moulay Idriss: holy enclosure
Huwa hada It is this one
Hasira: woven-grass mat
Hassil,el: anyway
H’dia “gift” he had the h’dia, the gift.
Hekaya: story;tale
Hindiyats :pricky pears[cactus fruit]
Hmuq: Crazy.
Horm: took sanctuary inside the horm of Moulay Idriss: holy enclosure
Huwa hada It is this one
Imam: Prayer leader
Ikoun: be
inchaAllah,incha’Allah: God willing.
Inch’Allah rahman er rahim [Inhsa’Allah and some Moroccan add rahman rahim i.e Most Gracious, Most Merciful]A.
Istiqlal Independence, refers to Moroccan independence from French/Spanish colonialism in
1956. Also Moroccan Independence Party:Hizb al-Istiqlal.
Jaffar name 1⁄4ja’far I said “Si Jaffar. . .”
Jaou
Jaou/menene jaou? From where did they come? Jiaou “they came”
jduq jmel Literally “camel’s cud” A hallucinogenic plant. [Correct spelling: “Shdeq” jmel]
Jehennam: hell “Allah’s most terrible punishment this side of the fires of jehennem”.
Jiffa: carrion
jduq jmel Literally “camel’s cud” A hallucinogenic plant. [Correct spelling: “Shdeq” jmel]
Jehennam: hell “Allah’s most terrible punishment this side of the fires of jehennem”.
Jiffa: carrion
Jihad,: “The man meant, jihad, the wholesale slaughter by every Moslem of all available
unbleivers(The Spider’s House 46-47)
Jilala Religious brotherhood. Name refers to “glory” of God as well as to the twelfth-century
saint of Baghdad Abd el-Qadir el-Jilani or “Jilali”.
Kabila, tribe
Kadah, Du El Kadah: 1⁄4 Dhu al-Qa’dah 11th month in the Islamic calendar.
Kaffirine: unbelievers, heathens..
Kaftan a long sleeved outer garment, see also Qaftan below
Kamenja: violin, fiddle
Katib: clerk, Secretary
Kdoub: lie
Keddane [the name of a neighborhood in old medina of Fes in the Andalusian quarter]A.
Khabaeuh:put it away please,hide it
Kaffirine: unbelievers, heathens..
Kaftan a long sleeved outer garment, see also Qaftan below
Kamenja: violin, fiddle
Katib: clerk, Secretary
Kdoub: lie
Keddane [the name of a neighborhood in old medina of Fes in the Andalusian quarter]A.
Khabaeuh:put it away please,hide it/him
Khai brother
Khalatini” you frightened me.
khalifa Government official; assistant to a caid, a deputy official
Khalih leave him alone
Khamstache fifteen
Khaouf: fear
Khai brother
Khalatini” you frightened me.
khalifa Government official; assistant to a caid, a deputy official
Khalih leave him alone
Khamstache fifteen
Khaouf: fear/Fi el khaouf :I’m afraid.
Kharra Shit.Moroccan vulgarity
Khlass: Stop it
Khoya: brother
Kif: Cannabis sativa The fine leaves at the base of the flowers of the common hemp plant,-
Kharra Shit.Moroccan vulgarity
Khlass: Stop it
Khoya: brother
Kif: Cannabis sativa The fine leaves at the base of the flowers of the common hemp plant,-
Cannabis sativa,chopped fine and usually mixed with tobacco grown in the same soil.
Kif enta? How are you?
Kifach: enough?
Kiffed smoked kif (under the influence of kif)
Kissaria: the quarter of the souk devoted to the sale of textiles, clothing and luxury items.
Kouffa: basket 1⁄4Arabic quffa [A Morrocan bag made out of reeds]A.
Ksar: p-alace.
Ksour Fortified villages.Usually in southern Morocco.
Ksar: p-alace.
Ksour Fortified villages.Usually in southern Morocco.
La,khoya,la no brother no
Labess: Fine, well
Latif/yah latif : gentle ya latif: O My God! Latif is also a form of public prayer in a mosque.
Lirah : cane flute
Litham: veil, the cloth worn over the lower half of a woman’s face. “they [nationalists] hoped to
Litham: veil, the cloth worn over the lower half of a woman’s face. “they [nationalists] hoped to
induce them[women] to discard the litham, and show their faces openly,like Jewesses or Christians” PB.
Loulli/prayer of the- [The mid-day prayer of Dhuhr] A
Maallem “Good maallem” Master
Maferhanche bzef: not happy at all
Maghreb al Aqsa’: was the name of the country
Maghreb, Morocco: afternoon prayer
Majabekfina: Don’t worry about me.. [You do not have anything to do with us. None of your
Maferhanche bzef: not happy at all
Maghreb al Aqsa’: was the name of the country
Maghreb, Morocco: afternoon prayer
Majabekfina: Don’t worry about me.. [You do not have anything to do with us. None of your
business]A
Majoun: Jam. Here made of figs and powdered cannabis: sometimes mixed with hashish oil.
Mamelouah(it’s forbidden) ?
Mamil 1⁄4 ma`mal/shop/factory “let’s see if you can run the mamil” PB.
Mcid: Tangier pronunciation of msjid, primary school attached to a mosque. [Also in Fes]A
Mechoui
Mcid: Tangier pronunciation of msjid, primary school attached to a mosque. [Also in Fes]A
Mechoui/mchoui the greatest delicacy of the Southern Territory, Barbeque,usually of an entire
sheep)
Medersa karouine : qarawiyyin: school or college and mosque in Fez.
Medersa: Qur’anic/religious school
Medina: city [older traditional quarter of city]A
Mehari: camel
Mehboul: idiot
Mejdoub: insane, possessed, deranged person believed to be possessed by spirits.
Mektoub It is writte, destiny
Melhoun(qsida) The language in which qsidas, poetic odes,are usually sung. [Also Malhoun:
Medina: city [older traditional quarter of city]A
Mehari: camel
Mehboul: idiot
Mejdoub: insane, possessed, deranged person believed to be possessed by spirits.
Mektoub It is writte, destiny
Melhoun(qsida) The language in which qsidas, poetic odes,are usually sung. [Also Malhoun:
Moroccan music based on Qasida of a melodic poem that is organized around stanzas and a
refrain called “harba”. Originally it started in Tafilalet (south east Morocco) and flourished in
historical cities, namely Fes, Meknes and Marrakech]A.
Mellah: Jewish quarters
Menene jaoui? O alleche? Where did they come from? And why?
Merhmoum? 1⁄4mehmoum?: sad . Gallik merhmoum bzef. It is very sad.
Metallem:[I am only a
Metallem:[I am only a metallem apprentice]
Meziane delightful. good.
Mijmah (
Meziane delightful. good.
Mijmah (1⁄4mijmar) a terra-cotta brazier, censor [correct spelling is mijmar]A
M’kiyif smoked kif :under the influence of kif
Mkiyif ma rassou: [High on smoked cannabis
M’kiyif smoked kif :under the influence of kif
Mkiyif ma rassou: [High on smoked cannabis/marijuana]A.
Moghrebi: Moroccan
Mokhazni, mokhaznia: Soldier, government official
Mokhfia, El [makhfiyya?] [the name of a quarter
Moghrebi: Moroccan
Mokhazni, mokhaznia: Soldier, government official
Mokhfia, El [makhfiyya?] [the name of a quarter/neighborhood in medina of Fes]A.
Moqaddam Gauleioter of quarter or village;local head of religious brotherhood.
Moqaddem official title
Mottoui : leather purse for kif [ Correct spelling is Matwi: the leather case that holds the finely
Moqaddem official title
Mottoui : leather purse for kif [ Correct spelling is Matwi: the leather case that holds the finely
clipped pieces of kif/cannabis.]A
Mouiddin -Mouiddin/Muezzin prayer caller.
moul: master,owner
Moulana: Our Lord, God. “Only Moulana knows how next year will be” PB.
Moulay: Master, Lord, a title of respect, often reserved for one who is a cherif, or descendent of
moul: master,owner
Moulana: Our Lord, God. “Only Moulana knows how next year will be” PB.
Moulay: Master, Lord, a title of respect, often reserved for one who is a cherif, or descendent of
the Prophet.
Mouloud Prophet’s birthday celebration (Aid al-Mouloud); also used for a saint’s birthday
celebration.
Moussem: fair, Seasonal festival held at the tomb of a saint.
Mouwal : mawwal
Mroziya Meat baked with honey [–prepared with lamb and raisins, especially during Aid al-
Adha]A.
Msalkheir: Good afternoon [good evening] A
M’ska: Gum arabic for incense.
Muezzin see Mouiddin
Na’als sandals
Naam, sidi: yes.sir .
Naqous: bell, a percussion instrument
Narghile: water-pipe
Nazarene: Christian
Nchoufou menbad: we’ll see you later
Nesrani: Christian
Nimchi o nji" [ I’ll go and come back]A.
Nimchiou: let’s go.
N’khalleslik" it’s on me" [I will pay]A
Om Kalsoum(1⁄4Umm Kulthum): Most famous Egyptian singer.
Oua-a-l ach f’n nebbi
Oua-a-l ach f’n nebbi/selliou alih/oual’laah m’selli alih/karrasoul’llah(a pilgrim’s prayer?"/
[spiritual sayings in praise of the prophet very commonly used in most Moroccan celebra-
tions.]A.
Ouahira? Difficult? “Ed dounia ouahira,” he said. “The world is a difficult place.”
Ouakha: yes OK.
Ouallah? Swear to God, by God
Oud: ‘ud musical instrument “he could hear the high thin notes of the oud”
Oued: Stream bed or watercourse, usually dry.
Ouled Nail: Berber singing girls and courtesans from the Aures mountains of Algeria.
Pacha rank[ Local governor]
Qachla?: Garrison
Qaftan: a long sleeved outer garment
Qahwaji/qaouaji: Coffeehouse owner, see also qaouji
Qalaoui
Qalaoui/ “in the police station where they woud attach electrodes to his qalaoui-/ Testicles” PB
Qaouji: waiter, coffehouse owner
Qoadi: qadi: A Muslim judge who rules on the basis of Islamic law.
Qsbah: Large reed transverse flute with a low register.
Qsida: qasida a poem
Qulb ? Qalb heart. «They have a passion for falling back on the « heart » in explaining a thing. El
Qoadi: qadi: A Muslim judge who rules on the basis of Islamic law.
Qsbah: Large reed transverse flute with a low register.
Qsida: qasida a poem
Qulb ? Qalb heart. «They have a passion for falling back on the « heart » in explaining a thing. El
Qulb they whisper. . . In Touch 182».
Rabi
Rabi/ya rabi [1⁄4, rabb, rabbi] /God
Rais: head
Raita (datura)Hallucinogenic plant
Razzia: “the raids proliferated, each razzia was attributed to the ghosts of the Medaganat” PB
Reales, Silver
Rais: head
Raita (datura)Hallucinogenic plant
Razzia: “the raids proliferated, each razzia was attributed to the ghosts of the Medaganat” PB
Reales, Silver reales 1⁄4 riyal a silver coin
Rebab: Violen-like instrument with one to three strings, played with a bow, .rebec, fiddle
Rebtas: tin of kif
Reguibat: Nomadic tribespeople from the Western Sahara
Rhaddi noud el haraj men deba chouich "it’s going to be war this time, not just games” PB
Rhaita: An oboe-like reed instrument. [Ghaytah a double-reed instrument like a flute]A.
Sa’a, sa’a: sometimes, I come and stay a few days.
Safi/: done, enough
Safsaf trees: eucalyptus. poplar trees or weeping willows
Sahel, sahel: easy
Safsaf trees: eucalyptus. poplar trees or weeping willows
Sahel, sahel: easy
Sala: hall
Salaam ou aleikoum: peace be upon you, greetings
Salaamed (derivative of salaam) “they salaamed in unison facing the empty hammada” PB
Salaams: greetings
Saqqaya [water fountain]A
Sabahal kheir, Sbalkheir: good morning
Sebsi: long thin pipe for smoking kif [Morrocan pipe made out of a clay or reed to smoke
cannabis/kif]A
Seguia: stream
Semsar: broker, agent middle man
Serrouelles: trousers
Shish kebab
Sidi Boukhari “district in Tangier"
Sidi Kacem Town in northwest Morocco
Skout: shut up.
Skse huwa [ask him]
s’l’m aleikoum: peace be upon you, i.e greeting) [sends his greetings to you]A
Smahli: I’m sorry [excuse me]A
Smatsi: Listen
Smitsck? What is your name?
Souk, souks: market
Souq: souk
Seguia: stream
Semsar: broker, agent middle man
Serrouelles: trousers
Shish kebab
Sidi Boukhari “district in Tangier"
Sidi Kacem Town in northwest Morocco
Skout: shut up.
Skse huwa [ask him]
s’l’m aleikoum: peace be upon you, i.e greeting) [sends his greetings to you]A
Smahli: I’m sorry [excuse me]A
Smatsi: Listen
Smitsck? What is your name?
Souk, souks: market
Souq: souk
Taguia: small Muslim skull-cap
Tajine [Moroccan pot made of clay and the dish that is cooked in it]A
Tanja: Tangier
Tanja Alia: the great Tangier [a very popular song about Tangier literally: “Tangier the high] A
Tarbouche: fez
T’barak’ Allah :God bless
Tchamir [a traditional Moroccan garment similar to Ghandourah, usually convenient to wear at
home]A
Tib, nidd, basalouban and mska and the bakhour [names of different incences associated with
repelling magic spells]
Tlah: Go Up
Tolba: “students” usually professional Qur’an reciters
Toubib: doctor
Ts’awouni/agi agi ts’awouni! (ta’awouni without /s/Help me
Tseuheur (
Tseuheur (1⁄4 sheur form sihr) Generic term for magic specifically it is word and sympathetic.
magic
Tsoukil (1⁄4 toukal) Euphemism for poison [He means “tawkal” i.e. feeding someone food or
drink that contains some magically prepared potion or poison in order to make him/her love
you and be submissive]
Ulema: religious leaders, scholars
Wattanine: patriots “Now he understood the Wattanine whom the French called les terrorists
and les assassins” PB.
Wazzara? ..the son chose his wazzara who would paint the designs . . .build the wall.
Ya altif! My God
Ya ouilidi: my boy, my son
Yallah: let’s go
Ya ouilidi: my boy, my son
Yallah: let’s go
Yehoudi: Jew. “Chouf had l’yehoudi. Look at that Jew!” PB
Yehoudia: Jewess, Judaism
Yemkin, yimkin: possible, maybe.
Zamar: Riffian double reed musical instrument.
Zaouia: zawiyah Holy shrine, Seat of a religious brotherhood, genrally comprising a mosque, a
school and the tomb of the sect’s founder.
Zduq: right, correct
Zekak er Roumane [zqaq al-romaan: the name of a street/quarter in old Medina in Fes.]A
Zouamel’: “So they were not women at all; they were merely dresses as girls” [Moroccan for gays (especially the passive]A.
