betta بطّة
Moroccan Darija · noun
“betta” (بطّة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning duck.
Meanings
- duck
Usage
BeTTa means the duck, whether farmed or wild; the word is grammatically feminine and is used for the species in general, regardless of sex. The plural is bTT or beTTat. It is mostly heard in the countryside, on farms, or in cartoons and children's stories. In cooking, duck is uncommon in Morocco, and people more often talk about chicken or turkey. The word can also serve as a little nickname, affectionate or teasing depending on tone, but this usage is informal.
Example
عند جدي بطّات فالعروبية
3nd jeddi bttat f l3roubiya
“My grandfather has ducks in the countryside.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “betta” but also “batta” and “btta”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “betta” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “duck, drake or female duck”; “can, metal container”: batta in Tunisian.