l7ej الحج
Moroccan Darija · noun
“l7ej” (الحج) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning pilgrimage to Mecca, hajj.
Meanings
- pilgrimage to Mecca, hajj
Usage
The word refers to the great annual pilgrimage to Mecca. It is used with the article: l7ejj. Common constructions are mcha l l7ejj (to go on the hajj), sift l l7ejj (to send someone on the hajj) and l9or3a dyal l7ejj (the lottery that allocates places). Sending one's parents on the pilgrimage is a very widespread wish. Not to be confused with 7ajj and 7ajja, "pilgrim" (male and female). These two words are also used as respectful titles when addressing an elderly person, even one who has never made the pilgrimage.
Example
غا نسيفت واليديا الحج
gha nsift walidiya lhj
“I'm going to send my parents on the pilgrimage.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “l7ej” but also “lhajj”, “l7ajj”, “lhej” and “7ejj”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.