sa77ar سحار
Algerian Darja · noun
“sa77ar” (سحار) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning sorcerer, spell-caster.
Meanings
- sorcerer, spell-caster
- cunning or bewitching person
Usage
Sa77ar (feminine sa77ara, plural sa77arin) refers to a person who practises sorcery (s7our), casts spells or prepares charms. The word is very common and carries a strong negative charge, since sorcery is disapproved of religiously and socially. In a figurative and often ironic use, someone very skilful, who gets whatever they want or who "bewitches" others, is called sa77ar or sa77ara, for example a mother-in-law seen as manipulative. It should not be confused with a mere stage magician. The context shows whether the accusation is serious or a joke.
Example
قالو بلي راحت عند سحارة باش تديرلو.
qalou belli ra7et 3and sa77ara bach tdirlou.
“They say she went to a sorceress to cast a spell on him.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sa77ar” but also “sahhar”, “sa7ar”, “sahar” and “sa77ara”. 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 “sa77ar” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “sorcerer, caster of spells”; “magician, conjurer”: sa7ar in Tunisian.