kayt3awd كايتعاود
Moroccan Darija · verb
“kayt3awd” (كايتعاود) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning repeats itself, recurs often.
Meanings
- repeats itself, recurs often
- happens again
Usage
Kayt3awd is the imperfect form (prefix kay-) of the verb t3awd, "to repeat oneself, to happen again". It is not an adjective, even though the meaning comes close to "frequent": it describes what keeps coming back. It is often used with dima ("always") or ghir ("only does"): nhari ghir kayt3awd, "my days are all the same". In the feminine, you say katt3awd. Do not confuse it with 3awd, "to repeat, to redo something", which is transitive: 3awd lia, "repeat it to me". The register is common and neutral.
Example
التاريخ كايتعاود ديما
ttarikh kayt3awd dima
“History always repeats itself.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “kayt3awd” but also “kayt3awed”, “kayt3awad” and “kaytaawd”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.