3sa عصا
Tunisian Derja · noun
“3sa” (عصا) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning stick, cane.
Meanings
- stick, cane
- wand, ski pole
Usage
3sa means a stick: an old man's cane, a shepherd's staff, or a stick used for hitting. The word is also used for technical objects: "3sa s7riya" (magic wand), "3sa mta3 es-ski" (ski pole). It is feminine: one says "3sa twila", a long stick. The expression "bel 3sa" means "with a stick", and by extension "by force". The usual plural is 3si. Note: for a police baton, matra9 is heard more often.
Example
جدي يمشي بالعصا
jeddi yemchi bel 3sa
“My grandfather walks with a cane.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3sa” but also “3ssa”, “asa” 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.