towwe9 طوّق
Moroccan Darija · verb
“towwe9” (طوّق) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to encircle, surround.
Meanings
- to encircle, surround
- to contain, curb
Usage
Towwe9 means to encircle or surround a place or people. It is used mostly of the police, the army or a crowd: "l-bulis towwe9 l-7uma", that is, "the police cordoned off the neighbourhood". Figuratively, the verb means to contain or curb a problem: "towwe9 l-mochkil". This verb comes from the written language and the media. Everyone understands it, but it is less common in conversation, where people will readily say "dar b-", that is, "to surround". The register is rather formal or journalistic.
Example
البوليس طوّق الحومة كاملة
l-bulis towwe9 l-7uma kamla
“The police surrounded the whole neighbourhood.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kanTowwe9 | Towwe9t | |
| nta (you, m.) | katTowwe9 | Towwe9ti | Towwe9 |
| nti (you, f.) | katToww9i | Towwe9ti | Toww9i |
| howa (he) | kayTowwe9 | Towwe9 | |
| hiya (she) | katTowwe9 | Toww9at | |
| 7na (we) | kanToww9o | Toww9na | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | katToww9o | Towwe9to | Toww9o |
| homa (they) | kayToww9o | Toww9o |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “towwe9” but also “twwe9”, “tawwe9”, “towe9” and “twe9”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.