“switch” in Arabic dialects
noun
How do you say switch across the major spoken Arabic dialects? Compare switch (noun) sense by sense across 5 dialects — Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, Iraqi, Maghrebi — with English meaning, native script, transliteration and usage.
What does “switch” mean?
noun
- Control consisting of a mechanical or electrical or electronic device for making or breaking or changing the connections in a circuit
- An event in which one thing is substituted for another“the replacement of lost blood by a transfusion of donor blood”
- Hairpiece consisting of a tress of false hair; used by women to give shape to a coiffure
English definitions from Princeton WordNet.
Quick comparison across dialects
| Dialect | Arabic (switch) | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Egyptian Arabic | مفتاح | muftāḥ |
| Levantine Arabic | كبسة | kabse |
| Gulf Arabic | سويتش | swich |
| Iraqi Arabic | دُگمة | dugma |
| Maghrebi Arabic | سقاطة | saqqāṭa |
Full breakdown by dialect
Egyptian Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| مفتاح | muftāḥ | an electrical switch, e.g. for a light |
| زرار | zurār | a button or small switch |
| تغيير | taghyīr | a change or alteration |
Levantine Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| كبسة | kabse | a button or switch, especially for light |
| مفتاح | miftāḥ | a switch, especially for electricity |
Gulf Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| سويتش | swich | an electrical switch (loanword) |
| مِفتاح | miftāḥ | a light switch |
| تَبْديل | tabdīl | an act of changing or swapping |
Iraqi Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| دُگمة | dugma | an electrical switch or button |
| سويچ | swich | loanword for an electrical switch |
| تَبديل | tabdīl | a change, exchange, or swap |
Maghrebi Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| سقاطة | saqqāṭa | light switch (Morocco) |
| قاطعة | qāṭiʿa | electrical switch, circuit breaker |
| بوطونة | bōṭōna | a button-like switch |
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