jil جيل
Moroccan Darija · noun
“jil” (جيل) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning generation.
Meanings
- generation
- the young people of an era
Usage
Jil means a generation, that is, all the people born in the same period. It is often used to compare eras or to criticize younger people: had jjil, "this generation", is frequently used to complain about young people today. One also says jil jdid, "the new generation", and jil lwalidin, "the parents' generation". The plural is ajyal, of a more formal register. The word is in common use in speech as well as in the media. It is normally used with the article: jjil.
Example
تانيا المرة هيا لي كاتربي جيل كامل
taniyan lmra hiya li katrebi jil kamel
“Secondly, it's the woman who raises a whole generation.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “jil” but also “jjil”, “jile”, “jiil” and “geel”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “jil” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “generation”: jil in Tunisian.