zri3at lkettan زريعة الكتان
Moroccan Darija · noun
“zri3at lkettan” (زريعة الكتان) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning flaxseed, linseed.
Meanings
- flaxseed, linseed
Usage
Zerri3t lkettan means flaxseed, literally "seeds of the flax". It is bought from the herbalist (l3eccab) or the grocer, whole or ground. It is added to certain preparations, such as sellou or breads, and taken for folk health uses, notably for digestion. In connected speech, the first word often takes the form zerri3t before lkettan. Do not confuse these seeds with lkettan alone, which refers to the flax plant or linen fabric.
Example
شريت زريعة الكتان من عند العشاب.
chrit zerri3t lkettan men 3end l3ecchab.
“I bought flaxseed from the herbalist.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “zri3at lkettan” but also “zerri3t lkettan” and “zerri3at lketan”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.