jenn جنّ
Moroccan Darija · noun
“jenn” (جنّ) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning jinn, invisible spirit.
Meanings
- jinn, invisible spirit
- demon, evil spirit
Usage
Jenn refers collectively to the jinn, invisible beings very present in Moroccan folk beliefs. An individual jinn is called jenni, and the common plural is jnoun. The subject is treated with caution. Many people avoid naming the jinn directly and use euphemisms such as hadouk, "those ones", or lmselmin. People also say bismillah in places reputed to be haunted. A person believed to be possessed is called meskoun. The word is not an insult, but it can be used to describe a very unruly child.
Example
كيقولو هاد الدار فيها الجن
kayqoulou had ddar fiha jjenn
“They say this house is haunted by jinn.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “jenn” but also “jen”, “jnn”, “jinn” and “jnoun”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “jenn” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “jinn, invisible spirit”; “demon, malevolent being”: jenn in Algerian.