3assa عسة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“3assa” (عسة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning guard duty, watch.
Meanings
- guard duty, watch
- night watch shift
Usage
3assa refers to guarding, the act of watching over a place, especially at night. Kalb mta3 3assa is a guard dog, as opposed to a pet dog. One also says 3mal 3assa or 9a3ed 3assa for "to stand guard, to keep watch". The guard himself is called 3assas. The word is common, especially in rural and farming settings or on building sites. It belongs to the informal, everyday register.
Example
عندو كلب متاع عسة قدام الحوش
3andou kalb mta3 3assa 9oddem el 7ouch
“He has a guard dog in front of the house.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3assa” but also “assa” and “3asa”. 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.