3sker عسكر
Moroccan Darija · noun
“3sker” (عسكر) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning army, military.
Meanings
- army, military
- soldiers (collective)
Usage
L3sker means the army or the military taken collectively: jaw l3sker, "the soldiers came". It can also mean military service: mcha l l3sker, "he went off to the army". The word is common and neutral. In a more official register, ljaych is also heard, which is closer to Standard Arabic. For a single soldier, 3skri is used. The collective often takes a plural in the sentence.
Example
ولد خالتي دخل للعسكر
weld khalti dkhel l l3sker
“My cousin joined the army.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3sker” but also “3askar”, “3skr” and “3esker”. 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.
Type “3sker” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “soldiers, military”; “army”: 3askar in Tunisian.