kanisa كنيسة
Moroccan Darija · noun
“kanisa” (كنيسة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning church (building).
Meanings
- church (building)
- parish
Usage
Kanisa, also pronounced knisa, means the church as a Christian place of worship. The word is feminine and is most often used with the article: lkanisa or lknisa. The plural is knayes. It is used to talk about the historic churches of the big Moroccan cities or those one sees while travelling. The verb most often used with it is zar ("to visit"). The register is neutral. In writing, do not confuse it with kenisst, a term meaning synagogue.
Example
ماعمرني مازرت شي كنيسة
ma3emerni mazert chi kanissa
“I've never visited a church.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “kanisa” but also “knisa”, “kanissa” and “knissa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.