مش

See also: مس and ـمش

Egyptian Arabic

Etymology

From underlying Arabic مَا هُوَ شَيْء (mā huwa šayʔ) and Arabic مَا هِيَ شَيْء (mā hiya šayʔ). The gender distinction was eventually lost, leaving miš, muš as interchangeable or regional variants.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /miʃ/, /muʃ/

Particle

مِش or مُش • (miš or muš)

1. not

   أنا مش مصري.

   ʾana miš maṣri.

   I'm not Egyptian.

See also

• ما (ma)
• ش (š)
• لأ (laʔ)
• ولا (wala)
• غير (ḡīr)

Moroccan Arabic

Etymology

From a Berber language. Compare Central Atlas Tamazight ⴰⵎⵓⵛⵛ (amucc).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /muʃː/

• Audio

  (file)

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

مش • (mušš) m (plural مشاش (mšāš), feminine مشة (mušša))

1. cat

   Synonym: قط (qaṭṭ)

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

Contraction of ماهوش (mahúš, mahūš, “it is not”), obtained by applying the negative circumfix ما ...ـش (mā ...-š, “not”) to pronouns like هو (hū, “he; it”). Can be traced piecewise to Arabic مَا + هُوَ + شَيْء (mā + huwa + šayʔ, literally “it is not one thing”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /miʃ/, [mɪʃ]
• IPA^(key): /muʃ/, [mʊʃ]

• Audio (Ramallah)

  (file)

Particle

مش • (miš or muš)

1. not (used to negate a nominal phrase)

   أنا مش فلسطيني.

   ʔana miš falasṭīni

   I'm not Palestinian.

   Audio (Ramallah)

   (file)

See also

• ما (mā), ـش (-š)

Tunisian Arabic

Etymology

From underlying Arabic مَا هُوَ شَيْء (mā huwa šayʔ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /muʃ/

Particle

مش (muš)

1. not

   آنا مش تونسي.

   ʾāna muš tūnsi.

   I am not Tunisian.