nsara نصارا
Moroccan Darija · noun
“nsara” (نصارا) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning Christians.
Meanings
- Christians
- Europeans, Westerners, foreigners
Usage
Nsara is the plural of nesrani (feminine nesraniya). The original meaning is "Christians". In everyday use, the word mostly refers to Europeans or Westerners, and more broadly to non-Muslim foreigners, without any reference to their religion. For example, people talk about the nsara in tourist cities. The register is informal. The tone is often neutral, sometimes slightly distant or mocking depending on the context. It also appears in proverbs and fixed expressions. It is best avoided in front of the people concerned, as it may strike them as reductive.
Example
مراكش عامرة بالنصارا هاد الأيام
mrrakech 3amra b nsara had liyam
“Marrakech is full of foreigners these days.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “nsara” but also “nssara”, “nesara” and “nasara”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.