9arn قرن
Moroccan Darija · noun
“9arn” (قرن) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning century.
Meanings
- century
- horn
Usage
The word has two clearly distinct meanings. As "century," it is used to talk about history, but also, by exaggeration, about an endless wait: "hadi 9ern ma chefnak," "it's been ages since we saw each other." As "horn," it refers to the horn of a sheep, cow, or goat. The plurals help distinguish the two meanings: "9roun" is used for both centuries and horns, while the dual "9ernin" is used mainly for an animal's horns. Context is usually enough to remove any ambiguity.
Example
كنتمنى مايبقاش قرن
kantmana mayb9ach 9arn
“I hope it won't last a century!”
Forms
| plural | 9oroun |
|---|
Forms as recorded in DODa, in its spelling.
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9arn” but also “9ern”, “9rn”, “qarn” and “garn”. 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.
Type “9arn” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “century”; “horn (of an animal)”: qarn in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “horn (of an animal)”; “century”: garn in Tunisian.