mouj موج
Tunisian Derja · noun
“mouj” (موج) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning waves, swell.
Meanings
- waves, swell
- rough sea
Usage
Mouj is a collective noun meaning waves or swell in general. For a single wave, people say mouja, and the plural is mouwej or amwej. It is heard mostly at the beach and in conversations about marine weather. So el-b7ar fih mouj means the sea is rough and it is best to avoid swimming. The word is common among surfers and fishermen, and in song and poetry, where it often has a figurative sense. Note: the word does not cover "waves" in the technical sense, which are usually expressed with the French word.
Example
اليوم البحر فيه موج، ما تعومش.
lyoum el b7ar fih mouj, ma t3oumech.
“Today the sea is rough, don't swim.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mouj” but also “mooj”, “moj”, “mouja” and “mwej”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “mouj” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “waves, swell”: mouj in Moroccan.