3az عز
Tunisian Derja · noun
“3az” (عز) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning at the height of.
Meanings
- at the height of
- honour, esteem
- affection, fondness
Usage
The word appears mainly in the phrase "fi 3azz" followed by a noun: "fi 3azz es-skhana" (in the full heat), "fi 3azz ech-chta" (in the depths of winter), "fi 3azz el-lil" (in the dead of night). It marks the most intense moment of a period. On its own, 3azz refers to the honour or esteem someone enjoys. In Tunisian, the word also expresses affection: you hear "nheb 3azzek" or "3azzek 3andi kbir", meaning that someone is very dear to you. Context tells these senses apart.
Example
خرج في عز السخانة بلاش شاشية
khraj fi 3azz es-skhana bla chechia
“He went out in the height of the heat without a cap.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3az” but also “3azz”, “3ez” and “azz”. 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.