5yata خياطة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“5yata” (خياطة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning sewing, tailoring (activity, trade).
Meanings
- sewing, tailoring (activity, trade)
- workmanship, quality of stitching
Usage
Khyata refers to the activity of sewing and to the trade of tailor or seamstress. It appears in common expressions: makina mta3 khyata, "sewing machine", ibra mta3 khyata, "sewing needle", and ta3allemt el-khyata, "I learned sewing". The word can also refer to the quality of the work: khyata ndhifa, "neat stitching". The male tailor is khayyat and the female one is khayyata, two close forms that should not be confused. The corresponding verb is khayyat, "to sew". The register is neutral and the word is used throughout the country.
Example
أمي تعرف الخياطة وتخيطلنا حوايجنا.
ommi ta3ref el 5yata w t5ayatelna 7wayejna.
“My mother knows how to sew and she makes our clothes for us.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “5yata” but also “khyata”, “khiyata”, “5iyata” and “khyeta”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.