7iwar حوار
Tunisian Derja · noun
“7iwar” (حوار) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning dialogue, discussion.
Meanings
- dialogue, discussion
- interview (media)
Usage
The word 7iwar belongs to the formal register, but it is in common use in Tunisia, especially in political and media vocabulary: el 7iwar el watani refers to the national dialogue between parties. In media language, a3mel 7iwar m3a fulen means "to do an interview with someone". In casual conversation, for a simple discussion between relatives, hadra or na9ach is used instead. The plural 7iwarat is heard mostly on television and radio. The word therefore covers both "dialogue" and "interview", depending on context.
Example
عملوا معاه حوار في الراديو
3amlou m3ah 7iwar fel radio
“They did an interview with him on the radio.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7iwar” but also “hiwar”, “7iwer” and “7wer”. 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.