sas ساس
Moroccan Darija · noun
“sas” (ساس) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning foundations of a building.
Meanings
- foundations of a building
- basis, origin (figurative)
Usage
Sas first refers to the foundations of a construction: sas d ddar (the foundations of the house), hfer ssas (dig the foundations). It is a building-trade word, widely used by masons and on construction sites. Figuratively, it means the basis or foundation of something: a badly started venture "ma 3endhash sas" (has no solid basis). It is often used with the article: ssas.
Example
البنّاي بدا كيدير الساس ديال الدار
lbennay bda kaydir ssas dyal ddar
“The builder has started laying the foundations of the house.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sas” but also “ssas” and “saas”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “sas” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “foundation, groundwork”; “basis, solid ground”: sess in Tunisian.