Machi Mashy, or in Other Words “Not Working”

Machi Mashy, or in Other Words “Not Working”
Engy Mohsen & Soukaina Joual
Published in 2022 (Egypt), Arabic, ISBN 978-977-94-3099-7, 180 Pages, Edition of 300.
 
“Machi Mashy” are false friends or faux amis, homonyms, or form the case of Jinas Tam in Arabic. In Moroccan darija, “Machi” is used as a form of negation when it precedes a verb or noun. In Egyptian a’ameya, “Mashy” is used for approval and it conjugates from the verb “Masha”, agreeing with one’s opinion. If we combine “Machi Mashy”—and considering what’s mentioned—both words cancel out each other, becoming a phrase that negates itself, meaning “Not Working”.

This publication contains different types of articles and creative texts that reflect on dialects and deal with language as a medium and a subject at the same time, with a focus on models from three regions of the Arab world: Egypt, Morocco, and the Levant. From the rhetoric of our daily conversation, to the qualitative terms that permeate our artistic practices. Writing, translation, and publishing practices demonstrate attempts to create a more comprehensive view of language use that goes beyond our own narratives and personal experiences. Therefore, we seek through this publication to create a space for mutual dialogue between speakers (especially artists) from Arabic-speaking countries.

Contributors
40Mustaqel, Adele Jarrar, Ala Younis, Batool El Hennawy, Hussein El-Hajj, Hussein Shikha, Rawia Sadek, Shatha Al-Deghady, Abdelbaar Mounadi Idrissi, Abdellah Karroum, Farouk El Merrakchi, Farah Hallaba, Lina Mounzer, Mohamed Abdelkarim, Mays Albaik, MOONI Studio, Nassim Azarzar, Huda Zikry.