3allouch علوش
Tunisian Derja · noun
“3allouch” (علوش) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning sheep, ram.
Meanings
- sheep, ram
- lamb or mutton meat
Usage
3allouch means the sheep, in particular the ram or lamb bought for Eid el-Kebir. It is also the usual term for the meat: "l7am 3allouch" (mutton), as opposed to "l7am bagri" (beef). The usual plural is 3lelich. In the days leading up to the festival, the word comes up constantly, in talk about the price and the choice of the animal. By familiar extension, it can describe a docile or naive person. This use remains mocking and should be handled with care.
Example
شرينا علّوش للعيد.
Chrina 3allouch lel 3id.
“We bought a sheep for the Eid.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3allouch” but also “allouch”, “3aloush”, “3aloch” and “3louch”. 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.