3adwa عدوة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“3adwa” (عدوة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning contagion, transmission of a disease.
Meanings
- contagion, transmission of a disease
- influence spreading from person to person
Usage
3adwa refers to the transmission of a disease from one person to another. One says fiha el 3adwa for a contagious disease, or jetou el 3adwa for "he caught it." The word is also used figuratively, in a playful tone, for a behavior, a yawn, or a habit spreading through a group. The register is everyday and informal. Note: in writing, the same spelling can be read 3adouwa, "enemy" in the feminine. Context decides. For the adjective "contagious," a phrase like yet3adda ("it spreads") is used instead.
Example
الكريب فيها العدوة، ما تقربش لصغار
el grippe fiha el 3adwa, ma t9arrebch lel sghar
“The flu is contagious, don't go near the children.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3adwa” but also “3adwe” and “adwa”. 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.