asba9iya أسبقية
Moroccan Darija · noun
“asba9iya” (أسبقية) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning right of way.
Meanings
- right of way
- priority, precedence
Usage
Asba9iya is a word of Standard Arabic origin, of a fairly formal register. It is used mostly for right of way when driving: l'asba9iya l limen, "priority to the right". It is also heard in administrative contexts or in queues, in the sense of "going first". In casual conversation, many Moroccans simply say "la priorité", the French way. To say that something comes before the others, a verbal phrase like hadi 9bel kolchi is often preferred.
Example
هو لي عندو الأسبقية، خليه يدوز
howa li 3ando l2asba9iya, khallih ydouz
“He's the one with the right of way, let him through.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “asba9iya” but also “asba9ia”, “2asba9iya” and “asbe9iya”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 2 is hamza (ء), a glottal stop; 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.