taj تاج
Algerian Darja · noun
“taj” (تاج) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning crown.
Meanings
- crown
- (figurative) the very best
Usage
Taj refers to the crown of a king or a bride. The word is mostly alive in expressions of respect and affection: taj rassi ("the crown of my head") is addressed to a person one honors, for example a parent, a wife or a dear friend. It is also used for the best of a category, notably in religious vocabulary, as in taj l'isti3far ("the best of the formulas of forgiveness"). At weddings, people speak of the taj the bride wears with her traditional outfit. The plural tijan is rare in spoken language.
Example
يمّا راهي تاج راسي.
yemma rahi taj rassi.
“My mother is the apple of my eye (lit. the crown of my head).”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “taj” but also “tadj”, “tej”, “taaj” and “tage”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “taj” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “crown”; “cherished person, pride (figurative)”: taj in Moroccan.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “crown”; “person one honours”: tej in Tunisian.