djadja جاجة
Algerian Darja · noun
“djadja” (جاجة) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning hen.
Meanings
- hen
- chicken (meat)
Usage
Djadja is the common word for "hen". The plural or collective djaj refers to hens in general, but also to the chicken one eats: chrit djaj, "I bought chicken". The male is called serdouk, "rooster", and confusion between the two is often the subject of jokes. The chick is called fellous. The word appears in familiar expressions and teasing, but its primary sense remains neutral. The initial d of Standard Arabic (dajaja) is not pronounced.
Example
الجاجة باضت اليوم
djadja badet lyoum
“The hen laid an egg today.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “djadja” but also “jaja”, “djaja” and “jadja”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.