wessa وصّا
Moroccan Darija · verb
“wessa” (وصّا) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to charge, entrust with.
Meanings
- to charge, entrust with
- to urge strongly
- to bequeath by will
Usage
Wessa means to ask someone insistently to do something or to take care of someone. It is not "recommend" in the sense of praising a product. The typical construction is wessa 3la: wessitek 3la mmak, "I've entrusted your mother to you", meaning "take care of her". It is also used for a message or errand: wessani ngoul lik..., "he asked me to tell you...". In a family or religious context, the word refers to last wishes. The corresponding noun is lwsiya (advice, will). The present tense is kanwessi.
Example
وصّيتك على خوك، ما تخلّيهش بوحدو
wessitek 3la khouk, ma tkhallihch b wehdou
“I'm entrusting your brother to you, don't leave him alone.”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kanwSSi | wSSit | |
| nta (you, m.) | katwSSi | wSSiti | wSSi |
| nti (you, f.) | katwSSi | wSSiti | wSSi |
| howa (he) | kaywSSi | wSSa | |
| hiya (she) | katwSSi | wSSaat | |
| 7na (we) | kanwSSiw | wSSina | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | katwSiwo | wSSito | wSSiw |
| homa (they) | kaywSSiw | wSSao |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “wessa” but also “wssa”, “wassa”, “wessi”, “wassi” and “wsa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Its Arabic spelling is not fixed either: you will find وصّا and وصى, all the same word.