zerbiya زربية
Moroccan Darija · noun
“zerbiya” (زربية) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning carpet, rug.
Meanings
- carpet, rug
Usage
Zerbiya is the usual word for a carpet, whether handwoven or industrial. It is feminine and its plural is zrabi. The origin or style is often specified: zerbiya rbatiya for a Rabat carpet, or the Berber carpets of the various regions. In the home, one speaks of cleaning, washing or folding the zerbiya. The word refers to an object laid on the floor. For a blanket, another term such as bettaniya is used. For a prayer rug, say sejjada instead.
Example
دفڭ ليا عصير فوق زربية
dfeg liya 3assir fo9 zerbiya
“I spilled juice on the carpet.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “zerbiya” but also “zerbia”, “zarbia”, “zrbia” and “zarbiya”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “zerbiya” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “carpet (knotted, pile)”; “rug, floor mat”: zarbia in Tunisian.