7chich حشيش
Tunisian Derja · noun
“7chich” (حشيش) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning grass, weeds.
Meanings
- grass, weeds
- fodder for livestock
- hashish, cannabis
Usage
In derja, 7chich primarily means grass that grows, especially weeds in a garden or field. For example, na77i el7chich ("pull out the grass"). In the countryside, the word also applies to cut grass given to animals. The sense of "hashish" exists and is understood, but for the drug Tunisians more often say zatla in casual speech. Depending on the context, using 7chich can therefore raise a smile or cause confusion. The word is a collective: no plural marker is added to it.
Example
الجنينة عبات حشيش، لازمنا ننحّيوه.
ejnina 3bet 7chich, lezemna nna77iwh.
“The garden is overgrown with weeds; we have to pull them out.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7chich” but also “hchich”, “hachich” and “7achich”. 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.