3ttar عطار

Moroccan Darija · noun

“3ttar” (عطار) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning spice and herb seller.

Meanings

1. spice and herb seller
2. traditional apothecary

Usage

The 3ttar is the traditional merchant who sells spices, dried herbs, incense, henna and traditional beauty or care products. He is found in souks and old neighbourhoods. People often ask him for advice on herbal remedies. The word does not correspond exactly to the English "grocer": the neighbourhood grocer, who sells everyday food products, is rather called moul l-hanout. The trade is called l3ttara. The plural is 3ttara.

Example

How to write it in Latin letters

In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3ttar” but also “3attar” and “3tar”. 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 “3ttar” on the Arabic keyboard

In Tunisian Derja

Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “corner grocer”; “spice or perfume seller”: 3attar in Tunisian.