wad واد

Moroccan Darija · noun

“wad” (واد) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning river.

Meanings

1. river
2. valley, riverbed

Usage

Wad (often lwad, with the article) refers to any watercourse, from a stream to a large river. It can also mean the riverbed, even when dry, and the valley it runs through. It is the word found in many place names, spelled "oued" in French. The plural is widan. The word also appears in the expression lwad l7ar, which means wastewater or the sewer. Outside that context, wad on its own has no negative connotation. Pitfall: do not use "oued" in English as a plain translation; "river" or "stream" is enough in most cases.

Example

How to write it in Latin letters

In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “wad” but also “oued” and “ouad”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.

Type “wad” on the Arabic keyboard

In Algerian Darja

Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “river, watercourse, wadi”; “valley”: oued in Algerian.

In Tunisian Derja

Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “river, stream”; “riverbed, valley”: wed in Tunisian.