jiniral جنيرال
Moroccan Darija · noun
“jiniral” (جنيرال) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning general (military rank).
Meanings
- general (military rank)
Usage
Jiniral is a borrowing from French "général", adapted to the phonology of darija and very common. It refers only to the senior officer rank in the army or gendarmerie. It is not used as an adjective meaning "general, overall": for that, say 3am or bṣifa 3amma. The plural is jiniralat. Jokingly, someone bossy who likes giving orders can be called a jiniral.
Example
باه ديالو جنيرال فالعسكر
bah dyalo jiniral f l3askar
“His father is a general in the army.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “jiniral” but also “jeneral” and “generale”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.