taj تاج
Moroccan Darija · noun
“taj” (تاج) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning crown.
Meanings
- crown
- cherished person, pride (figurative)
Usage
Taj first refers to the crown of a king, a princess or a bride. Figuratively, it expresses esteem and affection: hiya taj rasi, "she is my crown", is said of a wife or mother one honours. The proverb moul taj w kay7taj means "even the one who wears the crown needs others", that is, no one is self-sufficient. The plural is tijan. To an English speaker, the affectionate use may seem over the top, but it is natural and common in darija.
Example
واش غادي تلبس تاج ديال أميرة؟
wach ghadi talbas taj dyal amira?
“Are you going to wear a princess's crown?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “taj” but also “taaj” and “tej”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “taj” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “crown”; “(figurative) the very best”: taj in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “crown”; “person one honours”: tej in Tunisian.