khatem خاتم
Moroccan Darija · noun
“khatem” (خاتم) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning ring.
Meanings
- ring
- wedding ring (khatem dyal zwaj)
Usage
Khatem is the everyday word for a ring. For a wedding ring, say khatem dyal zwaj, and for an engagement ring, khatem dyal lkhotba. The plural is khwatem. This piece of jewellery has an important place in Moroccan engagements, where the ring is given during a small ceremony. You also hear khatem dyal dheb (gold) or dyal nn9ra (silver). Do not confuse this word with khatima, "conclusion", which comes from the same root but has a different meaning.
Example
عطاني خاتم ديال الزواج
3tani khatm dyal zwaj
“He gave me a wedding ring.”
Forms
| plural | khwatem |
|---|
Forms as recorded in DODa, in its spelling.
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “khatem” but also “khatm”, “5atm”, “5atem” and “khatam”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.
Type “khatem” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “ring, band”; “seal, stamp”: khatem in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “ring”; “wedding or engagement ring”: khatem in Tunisian.