7rir حرير
Tunisian Derja · noun
“7rir” (حرير) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning silk.
Meanings
- silk
- very soft, silky (figurative)
Usage
7rir means silk. It is used mainly for fabrics and traditional garments: mo7rma 7rir (silk scarf), jebba 7rir. After a noun, it takes on a value close to an adjective, which is why some sources classify it as an adjective. Figuratively, 7rir describes something very soft or that goes off without a hitch: skin, hair, or a job well done. In this sense one says, for example, ch3arha 7rir (her hair is silk). The register is neutral and the word is in common use.
Example
شريتلها محرمة حرير للعيد.
chritlha mo7rma 7rir lel 3id.
“I bought her a silk scarf for Eid.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7rir” but also “hrir”, “7riir” and “7arir”. 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.