9arnit قرنيط
Tunisian Derja · noun
“9arnit” (قرنيط) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning octopus.
Meanings
- octopus
Usage
The word 9arnit refers to the octopus, widely eaten in Tunisia, especially on the coast (Sfax, Kerkennah, Monastir, Mahdia). It is found in salad ("slatet 9arnit"), grilled, in pasta sauce, or in fish couscous. Grammatically, it is a collective noun: "chrit 9arnit" means "I bought octopus", and "9arnita" refers to a single piece. At market stalls, people often discuss "fresh 9arnit" versus "frozen 9arnit". It is distinguished from squid, called "calamar" or "totia" depending on the region.
Example
عملت سلاطة قرنيط للعشاء.
3malt slatet 9arnit lel 3cha.
“I made an octopus salad for dinner.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9arnit” but also “qarnit”, “karnit” and “garnit”. 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.