mowazi موازي
Moroccan Darija · adjective
“mowazi” (موازي) is an adjective in Moroccan Darija meaning parallel.
Meanings
- parallel
- informal, unofficial
Usage
Mowazi, or mwazi in looser pronunciation, is a word of learned origin. In speech it is used mostly to describe a spatial arrangement: had zzen9a mwaziya l chari3 ("this street is parallel to the avenue"). The feminine is mowaziya. The word also appears in expressions drawn from the media or administration, in the sense of "parallel, unofficial", for example sou9 lmowazi for the informal market. Its register remains fairly formal. In casual conversation, many speakers simply use the French word "parallèle".
Example
هاد الزنقة موازية للشارع الكبير
had zzen9a mwaziya l chari3 lkbir
“This street is parallel to the main avenue.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mowazi” but also “mwazi” and “mouwazi”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.