nab ناب
Moroccan Darija · noun
“nab” (ناب) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning canine, pointed tooth.
Meanings
- canine, pointed tooth
- animal's fang
Usage
Nab denotes the human canine tooth and, in animals, the fang. The usual plural is nyab. The word is used in everyday conversation, for example at the dentist or when talking about a dog bite. It is also part of the informal expression qerqeb nab, literally "to make the tooth rattle," meaning to chat or gossip casually: aji nqerqbo nab chwia, "come on, let's chat a bit." In that case, the word no longer refers to teeth. It must be distinguished from the verb nab 3la, "to stand in for someone, act in their place," which has the same form.
Example
ضرّني الناب ديالي البارح
derrni nab dyali lbare7
“My canine hurt yesterday.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “nab” but also “naab”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.