khne9 خنق
Moroccan Darija · verb
“khne9” (خنق) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to strangle, to choke.
Meanings
- to strangle, to choke
- to suffocate, to constrict the throat
Usage
Khneq means to squeeze the throat of a person or an animal, to strangle or choke. It is used literally (a rope, a hand, a collar that is too tight) and figuratively for heat, smoke or a situation that feels oppressive: "l7rara khenqatni" (the heat is suffocating me). The reflexive form tkhneq means to choke, notably by swallowing the wrong way, but also to be exasperated, at the end of one's tether. Note: the present tense is ykhneq, and the participle makhnouq means both strangled and, colloquially, very angry or anxious.
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kankhne9 | khne9t | |
| nta (you, m.) | katkhne9 | khne9ti | khne9 |
| nti (you, f.) | katkhn9i | khne9ti | khn9i |
| howa (he) | kaykhne9 | khne9 | |
| hiya (she) | katkhne9 | khn9at | |
| 7na (we) | kankhn9o | khn9na | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | katkhn9o | khne9to | khn9o |
| homa (they) | kaykhn9o | khn9o |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “khne9” but also “5ne9”, “khneq”, “khnaq” and “5neq”. 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; 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.