Pronouncing the letter (jiim) in Egyptian Arabic?

Question

I read that 'The letter (jiim) is pronounced as [g] instead of [j] in Upper Egyptian, e.g., [gamiil] instead of [jamiil], 'beautiful.' '

First of all is this statement accurate?

Second is it possible that someone from Alexandria (which is Lower Egypt right?) pronouns (jiim) as [g] as in [gamiil]? If they pronounce it this way what might this mean about their background or origin? I am just wondering because a friend told me they are from Alexandria but I am curious about their dialect...

Answer 1

There are a lot of Arabic letters which can't be pronounced in the other cultures . J & V are mostly not pronounced in all the Arab world . Th is not pronounced in the Italian language , etc .

Answer 2

All Egyptians, regardless of their location, pronounce JIM as GIM, hence Jamal is Gamal. At the same time, they pronounce QAF (Q) as AAf, hence QAREEB is pronounced AREEB.

By comparison, South Yemenese (i.e Hadhramout) people pronounce these two letters totally different. For them, JIM is YIM and QAF is GAF; hence QAREEB is GAREEB and JAMAL (Egytian: GAMAL) is YAMAL!

The Saudis and most Gulf countries are in agreement with the Yemenites on Qaf as Gaf.

The Sudanese, on the other hand, pronounce Qaf as GHAF, hence ISTIQLAL (which means Independance) is pronounced ISTIGHLAL (which to most Gulf and Yemenese would mean: EXPLOITATION).

When Sudan got its indipendance in the early forties, the people got out to the street and shouted: FAL YAHYAL-ISTIGHLAL, which to many other Arabs , it meant LONG LIVE EXPLOITATION and not LONG LIVE INDIPENDANCE!

Funny isn't it?

All the best!/

Answer 3

like magnet
ga