3roussat chta عروسة الشتا
Moroccan Darija · noun
“3roussat chta” (عروسة الشتا) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning rainbow.
Meanings
- rainbow
Usage
3roussat chta literally means "the bride of the rain." It is a popular, vivid name for the rainbow, which appears after a downpour. It is heard mostly in family conversation and in the speech of older people, as well as in children's rhymes. The more neutral term, qaws quzah, comes from Standard Arabic and dominates in school and in the media. The word works as a feminine noun: one says "bant 3roussat chta," "the rainbow appeared." Note: on its own, 3roussa means "bride" or "doll." Only the full expression refers to the rainbow.
Example
شوف عروسة الشتا بانت فالسما!
chouf 3roussat chta bant f sma!
“Look, the rainbow has appeared in the sky!”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3roussat chta” but also “3rousat chta”, “3roust chta”, “3roussat shta” and “3arousat chta”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.