9erd قرد
Tunisian Derja · noun
“9erd” (قرد) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning monkey.
Meanings
- monkey
- ugly or restless person (pejorative)
Usage
9ird (often pronounced 9erd) is the usual word for "monkey". The feminine is 9irda and the plural 9roud. It is heard at the zoo or in cartoons. Said of a person, it is a mockery: it targets someone ugly, who pulls faces or can't sit still. Between close people it is rather teasing. Addressed to a stranger, it is hurtful. A rowdy child may thus be called "9erd" by their parents, in an affectionate or irritated tone.
Example
شفنا قرد في الزو
chefna 9erd fi zoo
“We saw a monkey at the zoo.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9erd” but also “9ird”, “kerd” and “qird”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.
Type “9erd” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “monkey”; “ugly or grimacing person (teasing)”: 9erd in Moroccan.