9aser قاصر
Moroccan Darija · noun
“9aser” (قاصر) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning minor, person under legal age.
Meanings
- minor, person under legal age
- deficient, inadequate
Usage
A term of legal origin, also used as an adjective; feminine 9asra, plural 9asrin. It is heard mostly in news items and debates on social issues: zwaj l9asrat "the marriage of minors (girls)", bent 9asra "an underage girl". In conversation, people more readily say sghir or ma zal sghir when talking about age. The sense "deficient, not up to the task" belongs to a more formal register. It should not be confused with 9sser "to shorten, to reduce", nor with its derivative t9sir "negligence".
Example
ما يمكنش ليه يتزوج، راه باقي قاصر
ma ymkench lih ytzewwej, rah ba9i 9aser
“He can't get married, he's still a minor.”
Forms
| feminine | 9aaSera |
|---|---|
| plural | 9aaSerin |
| feminine plural | 9aaSerat |
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 “9aser” but also “9aaser”, “qaser”, “9asser”, “kaser” and “9aasir”. 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.