lbortgiz البرطقيز
Moroccan Darija · noun
“lbortgiz” (البرطقيز) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning the Portuguese (people).
Meanings
- the Portuguese (people)
- Portuguese (language)
Usage
Lbortgiz refers collectively to the Portuguese. It is often heard in connection with the Portuguese past of certain coastal cities, for example when talking about the ramparts or the cistern of El Jadida (sour lbortgiz). The word also means the Portuguese language, but lbortugaliya is also used in that sense. Pronunciation and spelling vary: the consonant ق can be pronounced g or q depending on the region. The country itself is more often called lbortugal.
Example
هاد السور بناوه البرطقيز
had sour bnawh lbortgiz
“The Portuguese built these ramparts.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “lbortgiz” but also “lbortqiz”, “lbertgiz” and “portgiz”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.