7arra حارة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“7arra” (حارة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning set of four eggs.
Meanings
- set of four eggs
- neighbourhood (the Hara)
Usage
7arra is a traditional unit of count: a set of four, used mostly for eggs. One says 7arra 3dham (four eggs), 7artîn 3dham (eight eggs). The plural is 7yar. It is still heard at the market and at the grocer's, especially among older people or in rural areas. The word is also used for a neighbourhood, in particular the Hara, the old Jewish quarter of some towns. Do not confuse it with the adjective 7arra, feminine of 7ar (hot, spicy), which is written the same way in Arabic: harissa 7arra means "hot harissa".
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7arra” but also “7ara”, “harra”, “hara” and “harret”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.