sghiwwer صغيوّر
Moroccan Darija · adjective
“sghiwwer” (صغيوّر) is an adjective in Moroccan Darija meaning tiny, minuscule.
Meanings
- tiny, minuscule
- little (affectionate)
Usage
Sghiwer is the diminutive of sghir. The feminine is sghiwra and the plural is sghiwrin. The word stresses very small size, but it often adds an affectionate or tender nuance, when speaking of a baby, a kitten or a cute little object. It can also become ironic or disparaging, depending on tone. The diminutive is a very lively process in Moroccan Arabic, and this word is a typical example. It is frequent in casual speech, especially with children.
Example
عندو واحد القط صغيوّر
3ndo wahed lqett sghiwer
“He has a tiny cat.”
Forms
| feminine | sghiwwra |
|---|---|
| plural | sghiwwrin |
| feminine plural | sghiwwrat |
Forms as recorded in DODa, in its spelling.
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sghiwwer” but also “sghiwwr”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.