The characteristics of the Moroccan dialect used in traditional oral tales
Authors
- Driss CHERKAOUI (US) The College of William and Mary
Abstract
This article explores the cultural and linguistic aspects of Moroccan traditional tales, which are performed in public by storytellers. We examine how the dialect, Moroccan Darija, is used in these performances. Some expressions such as proverbs may be readily understood cross-culturally, while others are culturally specific. There are also opening and closing expressions or expressions with religious overtones which may used so often that they can be qualified as formulae. The article presents examples of various types of repetitions, such as diacope (repeating words separated by other words), epimone (repetition to stress a point) or polyptoton (use of different words based on the same root); examples of synonyms to emphasize a point; use of antonyms; rhymes; changes in tone; use of sarcasm, all of which highlight the poetic richness of Moroccan Darija, an oral language long undervalued by scholars.
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