7sila حصيلة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“7sila” (حصيلة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning difficult situation, predicament.
Meanings
- difficult situation, predicament
- toll, tally
Usage
In derja, 7sila first means a bad spot, a situation you can't get out of. One says "ta7 fi 7sila", he landed in a predicament, or "7asslou", they cornered him. The related verb 7assel means to put someone in an awkward position. In the media and in formal register, the word takes on its standard meaning of a tally: "7assilet el 9atla", the death toll. Context easily distinguishes these two uses.
Example
طحت في حصيلة ما نعرفش كيفاش نخرج منها
ta7t fi 7sila ma na3rafch kifech nokhrej menha
“I've landed in a predicament, I don't know how to get out of it.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7sila” but also “hsila”, “hassila”, “7assila” and “7ssila”. 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.