ssiyed السيد
Moroccan Darija · noun
“ssiyed” (السيد) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning gentleman, the man (polite).
Meanings
- gentleman, the man (polite)
- venerated saint; his shrine
Usage
Ssiyyed is used to refer politely to a man, often someone you don't name: "had ssiyyed", this gentleman. It is widely used to talk about a customer, a boss or a stranger who is present. The corresponding feminine is ssiyyda (the lady). In another sense, ssiyyed means a local saint or his mausoleum, which people visit ("mcha l ssiyyed"). Context tells the two senses apart. To address someone directly, people rather say "a sidi".
Example
عطي السيد رزقو
3ti lsyd rez9ou
“Give this gentleman his money.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ssiyed” but also “siyed”, “ssiyd”, “sayed” and “ssiyyed”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “ssiyed” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “the guy, the man (informal)”; “mister (courtesy title)”: essid in Algerian.