jbes جبس
Moroccan Darija · noun
“jbes” (جبس) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning plaster (construction).
Meanings
- plaster (construction)
- plaster cast
- gypsum
Usage
Jbes is plaster, in the sense of the building material. It is used for ceilings and for traditional carved decoration, the jbes mnqouch, very present in Moroccan architecture. The word also refers to the medical cast put on a broken limb: daru lih ljbes, "they put a cast on him". It is a collective noun with no common plural, generally used with the article: ljbes. The craftsman who works with plaster is the jebbas. The word has no connection with the verb jber.
Example
دارو ليه الجبس فرجلو
daru lih ljbes f rjlo
“They put a cast on his leg.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “jbes” but also “jbs” and “jebs”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.