dyawlhom دياولهوم
Moroccan Darija · pronoun
“dyawlhom” (دياولهوم) is a pronoun in Moroccan Darija meaning their (plural noun).
Meanings
- their (plural noun)
- theirs
Usage
Dyawlhom is the plural form of dyalhom. It is used when there are several things or people possessed: lwlad dyawlhom, "their children". The plural agrees with the thing possessed, even though the suffix -hom already points to several possessors. In everyday usage, especially among young people and in cities, dyalhom often replaces dyawlhom with no difference in meaning. A learner can therefore get by with dyalhom when speaking, while still being able to recognise this form when heard.
Example
الوليدات دياولهوم مشاو للمدرسة
lwlidat dyawlhom mchaw lmadrasa
“Their children went to school.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “dyawlhom” but also “diawlhom”, “dyawlhoum” and “diawl8om”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 8 is light ha (ه) or ghayn (غ), depending on the writer.