How does the Fessi accent compare to the rest of Marocco and indeed to the levant dialects?
I have a friend from Lebanon who commented on how easily she got by in Fes and I wonder if this could be due to an attribute of the fessi accent?
This is of interest to me as I am considering splitting my arabic learning between Fez, Marrocco and Amman, Jordan.
Many thanks for any insight youa re able to provide,
Regards,
A
Hi Alex,
My name is Hans and I currently live in Rabat, Morocco, but I’ve been a student, Peace Corps Volunteer and English teacher throughout Morocco. I’ve lived in Fes three separate times, in 2013, 2015 and 2017. Fesi people have told me that the true Fesi accent has become increasingly rare as people move in and out of the city, and that a more national dialect has taken over. I think that the reason your friend got by so easily in Fes is because the Lebanese dialect is easily understood by Moroccans. It’s popular in the Moroccan media, and you can hear songs played from all over the Middle East while living in Morocco. Moroccans like to say that while they can understand most other dialects of Arabic, they are not understood by other Arabs. That’s why I’m learning other dialects here at talkinarabic. I’m pretty fluent in Moroccan Arabic, but I can’t just go to Jordan and be understood. However, a Jordanian coming to Morocco would have few communication issues, as Moroccans are familiar with their dialect. I’ve been told that Moroccan music is becoming more popular in the Middle East, so things may be changing. Let me know if you’d like any advice on living in Fes!
Cheers,
Hans
Salams Hans,
I have just signed up with Talk Arabic in anticipation of a return trip to Morocco. I hope to learn enough Darija to get by. I have a very beginning level of Arabic and have spent time in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. I would like to visit Fes and the surrounding areas. My home base will be Essaouira for Sept-Dec. I was planning on spending a week traveling around Fes. I definitely want to visit the famous university there and experience the zikr circles at one of the zawiyas. Any recommendations for must see activities in the region and also authentic mid price ranges riads to stay in? I hope this isn’t too much off topic for this chat.