7sna حصنة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“7sna” (حصنة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning horses (plural of 7san).
Meanings
- horses (plural of 7san)
Usage
7sna is the plural of 7san, "horse". It is used for concrete horses: those at an equestrian festival, in a stable, on a farm. In Tunisia you will also hear the collective 5il or the plural 5youla, both common in the vocabulary of fantasia festivals where riders fire the mko7la (the rifle). For a single animal, say 7san, and 3awda for a mare. Don't mistake 7sna for a singular noun: despite its ending in -a, it is a plural and takes plural agreement, for example "el 7sna jriw", "the horses ran".
Example
فما برشا حصنة في المهرجان العام هذا
fama barcha 7sna fil mahrajen el 3am hedha
“There are a lot of horses at the festival this year.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7sna” but also “hsna”, “7sona” and “7ssna”. 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.