Moroccan Arabic (Darija)

“Darija” is the blanket term for Arabic dialects spoken in the Maghreb region of North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya). Darija is strictly used for oral colloquial communication, while Modern Standard Arabic is employed for written communication, official/government correspondence and news broadcasting. Modern Standard Arabic is characterized by its complex grammatical rules and abundant vocabulary base; Darija, on the other hand, has a simpler grammatical rules and its vocabulary is more streamlined.

Moroccan Darija has a distinct pronunciation and is largely incomprehensible to Middle Eastern Arabic speakers, but is generally interchangeable with all dialects across the Maghreb. It should be noted that the Darija spoken in Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya are not entirely compatible with each other because each dialect is peppered with words borrowed from different Southern European countries. For example, Libyan Darija has been marked by Italian words, Tunisian by French and Italian, and the Algerian dialect has mostly been influenced by French. Moroccan Darija, due to its geography and its colonial past, integrates French and Spanish words. As a result of the Spanish protectorate (1912-1956), Castillian Spanish was introduced in the North of Morocco and is still spoken in some towns along the Mediterranean coast (namely in Tangier and the Spanish territories of Ceuta and Melilla). French language entered Morocco with the French protectorate (1912–1956) and has remained a constant fixture in modern day communication. Major cities (such as Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakesh) are almost entirely bilingual French-Darija.

Some Moroccan Darija words borrowed from French:
• tomobile or tonobile : automobile (car)
• bartma : appartement (apartment)
• rambwa : rondpoint (traffic circle)
• tobis : autobus (bus)
• portable: portable (cell phone)
• brika: briquet (lighter)
• Parisien: French bread
• Forchita: fourchette (fork)

Some Moroccan Darija words borrowed from Spanish:
• cuzina : cocina (kitchen)
• simana : semana (week)
• manta : manta (blanket)
• courda : cuerda (rope)
• blassa : plaza (square)
• l banio: el baño (toilet)

Moroccan Darija is a language in constant evolution. Depending on the region at hand, contemporary French words are being introduced into everyday and technical language, while outdated French words are being replaced with its Modern Standard Arabic equivalent. Spanish continues to flourish in the north and English language is even finding its way into the diverse lingua franca of Morocco.

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Tags: Africa, arabic, french, languages, morocco

Category: Foreign Language