9adha قضاء
Tunisian Derja · noun
“9adha” (قضاء) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning justice, the judiciary.
Meanings
- justice, the judiciary
- fate, divine decree
Usage
Qadha first refers to the judicial institution: judges, courts, the magistracy. It is heard in the news and in public debate, or in connection with law studies leading to the magistracy. The second, religious sense appears mainly in the fixed expression "qadha w qadar", fate as willed by God, said to accept a misfortune or a death. The word comes from Standard Arabic and keeps a rather formal register; in speech, "el mahkma" is more usual for the court. The judge is qadhi, plural qudhat.
Example
القضاء لازم يكون مستقل
el qadha lazem ykoun mosta9el
“The judiciary must be independent.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9adha” but also “qadha”, “kadha”, “9adhe” and “qada”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.