waswas وسواس
Moroccan Darija · noun
“waswas” (وسواس) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning obsession, fixed idea.
Meanings
- obsession, fixed idea
- anxious doubts, excessive scruples
- whisperings of the devil
Usage
Lwaswas refers to obsessive thoughts and repetitive doubts that keep the mind from being at peace. It is often met in fih lwaswas, literally "he has the waswas". The phrase applies, for example, to a person who constantly checks the door, washes several times, or redoes their ablutions for fear of having done them wrongly. The word has a strong religious colouring: it also refers to the suggestions of the devil. In conversation, it is often used to tease someone who is too distrustful or too meticulous. It has no strict clinical meaning. The related adjective is mwaswas, "obsessive, anxious".
Example
نتي راه فيك وسواس
nti rah fik waswas
“You have obsessions.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “waswas” but also “wswas”, “waswass” and “ouaswas”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.