# All dialects: جدع - جذع



## Andrew___

Does anyone know what جدعان means in EA?

I don't have a specific context.

Thanks,
Andrew


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## Haroon

either " the salt of earth" or simply " or just people ( especially men or youngmen) depending on the context. it is the plural of جدع which is a nice guy or just a man.


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## Andrew___

Many thanks Haroon.

I had not heard this word before.

Andrew


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## elroy

In Palestinian Arabic, a جدع (interestingly enough, pronounced as in Egyptian - "gada3") is a man who is worthy of respect.  Usually this is because he is dependable or self-sufficient.  We don't use it to mean "nice guy," and certainly not just to mean "man."


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## djara

From Ahmad Fouad Najm's poem الجدع جدع والجبان جبان I understand the word to mean brave.
In Tunisian Arabic "gda3" only refers to physical strength. We write it with a qaf with 3 dots.


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## cherine

In Egypt it has different meanings according to context. 

- A gada3 can mean just a man:
كان عايز إيه الجدع ده = what did that guy want?
شايف الجدع اللي ماشي هناك ده = do you see that guy walking there?

- A gada3 can be a very good man, someone reliable and trustworthy:
دا راجل جدع جدًا = he's a very good/reliable/trustworthy.... man

We even have the feminine form  :
دي بنت جدعة جدًا = a girl who's relibale, serviable, helpful....

But the f. form doesn't have the meaning of "just a girl".

There's a new song by أحمد مكي called جدعان طيبين maybe it can give you an idea of what a gada3 is.


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## Andrew___

Thanks Cherine and all.

Wow this word جدع is awesome.


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## djamal 2008

A man showing bravery that comes close to heroism.


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## Josh_

Yes, I like this word also, Andrew.

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe a جدع is more than just someone who is reliable and trustworthy, but also refers someone who is an all around principled person, filled with virtue and integrity (in Egyptian usage anyway).

I wanted to mention that if you want to tell someone to "be a man" (or maybe more slangily to "man up" or in cowboy jargon to "cowboy up"), that is to say to possess the qualities of a جدع, you can say خليك جدع.  Sometimes the appropriate translation may be something other than "be a man".  For example:

خليك جدع وافتح لها الباب.
Be a gentleman and open the door for her.


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## cherine

You're right, Josh. But the thing is that this word can mean different degrees of gentlemanship/manhood/nobility... if I may express it this way.
For example, sometimes it's used along with the word شهم like saying that a man is a really راجل شهم وجدع (and "shahm" is another word that I find difficult to translate).
The verb اتجدعن (etgad3an/edgad3an) usually means make an effort, but strong, rather than "be a man" (although it sometimes does).
The noun الجدعنة elgad3ana is sometimes a synonym of الشهامة and also الرجولة like real manhood (i.e. not just being a "male" but a real man).

It's a really interesting word, and more interesting and awesome meaning.


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## djamal 2008

الشهامة Would be translated best by the word magnanimity wich combines all the virtues of generosity, nobility and greatness of the spirit and mind.

But, Khelik Gada3 could well be interpreted as an insult as if one lacks  courage and kindness.


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## scetis

[Moderator's Note: Merged with a previous thread]
I always though جدع meant hardworking in Egyptian Arabic but lately friends have been saying it's not... جدع seems to be more along the lines of diligent which could be in any area of life... would that be right?

But more importantly, I'm still stuck with not knowing how to say someone is hardworking... so if anyone knows a better term that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks...


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## cherine

Someone who is جدع is dependable, trustworthy, knows how to manage different situations, resourceful. And maybe other characteristics as well.

A hardworking person is شغيل shagh-ghiil, shaaTer fe shoghlo شاطر في شغله . And we also have the expression حمار شغل , the feminine is حمارة شغل  but I'm not sure you can use it with everyone.


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## momai

[Moderator's Note: Split from here]
[...]
- قدعان  Egyptian loanword I guess
[...]


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## Mahaodeh

قدع has origins in Classical Arabic so it does not necessarily have to be a loanword although it could be.


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## WadiH

Why are you spelling it as قدع/قدعان and not جدع/جدعان? I believe it's the same as جذع from Classical Arabic and other dialects, but with the usual shift of the interdental to a stop.


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## momai

Wadi Hanifa said:


> Why are you spelling it as قدع/قدعان and not جدع/جدعان? I believe it's the same as جذع from Classical Arabic and other dialects, but with the usual shift of the interdental to a stop.


I copy pasted it. I myself don't spell it with qaaf. I think it is an Egyption loanword in SA because it is pronounced with g not with jeem.


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## Mahaodeh

Wadi Hanifa said:


> Why are you spelling it as قدع/قدعان and not جدع/جدعان? I believe it's the same as جذع from Classical Arabic and other dialects, but with the usual shift of the interdental to a stop.


I just assumed this is correct because the word with the closest meaning is قدع, the other two don't seem to make sense compared to the current usage.


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## Schem

Not to veer further off-topic but the word جذع djeð3 and the diminutive جذيع edjðē3 are still often used in my dialect to refer to young and able-bodied individuals. The relation to the Egyptian usage is rather clear in this instance.


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## WadiH

Mahaodeh said:


> I just assumed this is correct because the word with the closest meaning is قدع, the other two don't seem to make sense compared to the current usage.



Hi Maha.  As you know the [g] in Egyptian Arabic corresponds to جيم not ق, so it can'be قدع.



Schem said:


> Not to veer further off-topic but the word جذع djeð3 and the diminutive جذيع edjðē3 are still often used in my dialect to refer to young and able-bodied individuals. The relation to the Egyptian usage is rather clear in this instance.



Yes exactly.


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