3adh عاض
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“3adh” (عاض) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning biting, clenching one's teeth.
Meanings
- biting, clenching one's teeth
- holding one's tongue
Usage
3adh is the active participle of the verb 3adh (to bite). It describes someone who is biting or clenching something between their teeth. It takes the preposition 3la: "3adh 3la lsanou" (he bites his tongue), meaning he holds back from speaking. The expression "3adh 3la sab3ou" expresses regret or contained anger. The feminine is 3adha and the plural 3adhin. In context it often conveys patience or restraint rather than an actual bite. Do not confuse it with a conjugated verb.
Example
كان عاض على لسانو وما حكى حتى كلمة
ken 3adh 3la lsenou w ma 7ka 7atta kelma
“He was biting his tongue and didn't say a single word.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3adh” but also “aadh”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.