7enna حنة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“7enna” (حنة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning grandmother.
Meanings
- grandmother
- henna
Usage
In many Tunisian families, 7enna is the affectionate word for grandmother. It is used to address her directly ("ya 7enna") as well as to talk about her. It coexists with jadda and mémé, depending on the region and the family. The same word also means henna, very present in wedding celebrations (the bride's "7enna"). Context distinguishes the two meanings: a person on one hand, a dye or a ceremony on the other. The diminutive or affectionate repetition is common when talking to children.
Example
نمشي نهار الأحد نزور حنّة.
nemchi nhar el a7ad nzour 7enna.
“On Sunday I'm going to visit grandma.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7enna” but also “7anna”, “hanna”, “henna” and “7ena”. 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.
Type “7enna” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “grandmother”; “henna”: 7enna in Moroccan.