Written Moroccan Darija - Arabic and Arabizi

Moroccan Darija, the dialect of Arabic spoken in Morocco, has traditionally been an oral language. However, with the rise of digital communication, written forms of Darija have become increasingly common. This article explores the two main ways of writing Darija: using Arabic script and Arabizi.

Writing Darija in Arabic Script

When written in Arabic script, Darija uses the same alphabet as Standard Arabic, but with some adaptations to represent sounds specific to the Moroccan dialect.

Adapted Letters

Darija includes sounds not found in Standard Arabic, such as 'g' (hard G) and 'p'.

Example (G): The letter گ (kaf with three dots or a line) is often used.

"Gamila" (Pot) is written as كاميلة.

Example (P): The letter پ (ba with three dots below) or plain (ba) (ب) represents 'P'.

"Plastik" (Plastic) is written as بلاستيك.

Different Usage: Some letters are used differently. For instance, ك (kaf) is frequently used for the 'g' sound in digital typing if the user doesn't have the modified keyboard (e.g., writing كلس for "sit" (gles) instead of گلس).

Vowel Omission

Vowels are often omitted, as in Standard Arabic, which can make reading challenging for non-native speakers.

Example 1: "Good"

Pronounced: mezyan

Written: مزيان (mzyan)

Example 2: "He entered"

Pronounced: dkhel

Written: دخل (dkhl)

Arabizi - Writing Darija with Latin Letters

Arabizi, also known as 'Moroccan ASCII', is an informal writing system that uses Latin letters and numbers to represent Darija sounds. It's widely used in digital communication, especially among younger Moroccans.

Key Features of Arabizi:

Numbers are used to represent sounds not found in the Latin alphabet because the shape of the number physically resembles the Arabic letter.

Number / Letter Mapping:

3 for "ع"

Example: "3afak" (عفاك) (Please)

7 for "ح"

Example: "7ob" (حب) (Love)

9 for "ق"

Example: "9ahwa" (قهوة) (Coffee)

5 or "kh" for "خ"

Example: "5obz" (خبز) (Bread)

2 for "ء"

Example: "su2al" (سؤال) (Question)

Example phrases:

"Fin a sat? Labas 3lik?" (فين ا صاط، لاباس عليك؟)

Meaning: (Where are you, dude? Are you good?)

"Hani jay f tri9, 5emsa d9aye9" (هاني جاي ف طريق، خمسة دقايق)

Meaning: (I'm coming on the way, five minutes.)

It's not standardized, so spelling can vary between users (e.g., writing "hob" vs "7ob" or "qamija" (shirt) vs "9amija").

Comparison: The Same Phrase in Both Systems

To see the difference, here is the phrase "I am going home now" written in both styles:

English: I am going home now.

Darija (Arabic Script): أنا غادي للدار دابا

Darija (Arabizi): Ana ghadi l dar daba.

Pros and Cons

Both writing systems have their advantages and disadvantages:

Arabic Script:

Pros: Maintains connection with Arabic heritage; easier for those who already read Standard Arabic.

Cons: Difficult for non-Arabic readers.

Arabizi:

Pros: Fast to type on standard QWERTY/AZERTY keyboards; accessible to the diaspora or learners who cannot read Arabic script.

Cons: Can be confusing due to lack of standardization; considered "informal" or "slang" and not suitable for professional contexts.

Conclusion

The choice between Arabic script and Arabizi often depends on the context and the writer's preferences. While Arabic script is favored in more formal contexts (ads, billboards), Arabizi dominates in informal WhatsApp chats and social media comments. As Moroccan Darija continues to evolve as a written language, it will be interesting to see how these writing systems develop and potentially converge in the future.