adab أدب

Moroccan Darija · noun

“adab” (أدب) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning politeness, good manners.

Meanings

1. politeness, good manners
2. literature
3. humanities, literary studies

Usage

In conversation, adab mainly means politeness, good manners and respect toward others. The most frequent expression is 9ellet l'adab, "rudeness, lack of upbringing", said as a reproach to a child or an insolent person. One also says ma 3ndouch l'adab, "he has no manners at all". The sense "literature" comes from school and university: lmadda dyal l'adab, or l'adab l3arabi, "Arabic literature". For the upbringing received at home, trbiya is also used.

Example

How to write it in Latin letters

In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “adab” but also “adeb”, “aadab” and “adaab”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.

Its Arabic spelling is not fixed either: you will find أدب and اداب, all the same word.

Type “adab” on the Arabic keyboard

In Algerian Darja

Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “politeness, good manners”; “literature”: adab in Algerian.