hor حر
Algerian Darja · adjective
“hor” (حر) is an adjective in Algerian Darja meaning free to do as one likes.
Meanings
- free to do as one likes
- free, not enslaved
Usage
Hor (feminine horra, plural hrar) means free. The most common use is the phrase howa hor or nta hor: he or you does what he or you wants, it's no one else's business. It is used to cut off criticism or to respect someone's choice: hor f hyatou (he is free to live his life as he sees fit). The word also carries a sense of dignity: rajel hor, a free and proud man. Not to be confused with har (spicy, hot). The register is neutral.
Example
هو حر، يدير واش يحب
howa hor, ydir wach yhab
“He's free, he does what he wants.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “hor” but also “7or”, “horr”, “7orr” and “hur”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.
Type “hor” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “free, not subject to anyone”; “pure, genuine (natural product)”: 7orr in Tunisian.