tawra ثورة
Moroccan Darija · noun
“tawra” (ثورة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning political revolution.
Meanings
- political revolution
- upheaval, major change
Usage
Tawra comes from written language and the media. It is common when talking about politics, history or current affairs, for example "tawrat l-malik wa ch-cha3b", the name of a national holiday. Figuratively, it is used for a radical change: "had t-tilifon dar tawra" (this phone was a revolution). The register remains rather elevated or journalistic. In casual conversation, to talk about commotion or anger, other words are preferred, such as fawda (disorder) or tqellqa (to get worked up). You may also hear the pronunciation thawra, closer to written language.
Example
هاد الاختراع دار ثورة فالعالم
had l-ikhtira3 dar tawra f l-3alam
“This invention caused a revolution in the world.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tawra” but also “thawra” and “tawrat”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “tawra” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “revolution, uprising”; “the Tunisian revolution (with the article)”: thawra in Tunisian.