nif نيف
Moroccan Darija · noun
“nif” (نيف) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning nose.
Meanings
- nose
- pride, self-respect
Usage
Nif is the usual word for the nose. It combines with possessives: nifi, "my nose", nifek, "your nose". In the figurative sense, which is very common, it refers to self-respect and honour: 3ndo nif, "he has pride", and ma 3ndouch nif, "he has no self-respect". One also says tle3 lih nif or kayhzz nifu for someone proud. The figurative sense is positive or negative depending on context: pride can be praised as dignity or criticised as arrogance. The plural is nyouf.
Example
عندي الزكام، نيفي مسدود.
3ndi zzkam, nifi msdoud.
“I have a cold, my nose is blocked.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “nif” but also “nifi”, “neef” and “nyf”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “nif” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “nose”; “pride, self-respect, honour”: nif in Algerian.