7tiyat حتياط
Moroccan Darija · noun
“7tiyat” (حتياط) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning precaution, caution.
Meanings
- precaution, caution
- reserve, supply
- substitutes (sports)
Usage
A common word, generally used with the article: l7tiyat. The most frequent phrase is dir l7tiyat dyalek, "take your precautions." One also says b l7tiyat (cautiously) and 3la 7sab l7tiyat (as a precaution). The word also means what one keeps in reserve: money, provisions, a spare tire. In football, it means the substitutes, as in bank l7tiyat or f l7tiyat. The register is neutral; it is heard at home as much as in the media.
Example
دير لحتياط ديالك قبل ما تسافر
dir l7tiyat dyalek 9bel ma tsafer
“Take your precautions before you travel.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7tiyat” but also “7tiat”, “i7tiat” and “ihtiat”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.