zon9a زنقة زنقة
Algerian Darja · noun
“zon9a” (زنقة زنقة) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning alley, narrow street.
Meanings
- alley, narrow street
- street, neighbourhood
Usage
Zen9a first means a narrow street or alley, especially in old neighbourhoods. By extension, the word can refer to the street or neighbourhood in general, a bit like hawma. It appears in expressions such as "f zen9a" (in the alley) or "wled zen9a" (the kids from the street). One source reports that it may have a vulgar meaning in some parts of the East, so it is best used with caution when you don't know the local usage. Elsewhere, the word is neutral and common.
Example
الدار تاعو في الزنقة اللي ورا الجامع
eddar ta3ou f ezzen9a elli wra ljame3
“His house is in the alley behind the mosque.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “zon9a” but also “zn9a”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.