sousa سوسة
Algerian Darja · noun
“sousa” (سوسة) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning tooth decay.
Meanings
- tooth decay
- weevil, woodworm
Usage
Sousa first means tooth decay. For example: "3andi sousa f dersti", I have a cavity in my tooth, or "klatlou sousa snanou", decay has eaten away his teeth. The word also refers to the small insect that eats away at grains, flour or wood. By extension, it evokes whatever gnaws from the inside, literally or figuratively. The register is everyday. Watch out: the same Arabic spelling also stands for the Tunisian city of Sousse, which causes confusion in writing.
Example
رحت للطبيب تاع السنان، لقالي سوسة.
reht ltbib ta3 snan, lqali sousa.
“I went to the dentist, and he found a cavity.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sousa” but also “soussa” and “susa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.