9aws 9oza7 قوس قزح
Tunisian Derja · noun
“9aws 9oza7” (قوس قزح) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning rainbow.
Meanings
- rainbow
Usage
"9aws 9oza7" is the usual word for rainbow in Tunisia. It is the standard Arabic form, but everyone understands and uses it, including in conversation and with children. It is used literally, when the rainbow appears after rain. It is also used to talk about bright, varied colors, for example "kol lwan 9aws 9oza7". The first word, 9aws, means "bow". The expression works as a single masculine noun and is almost never used in the plural.
Example
شوف، طلع قوس قزح بعد المطر
chouf, tla3 9aws 9oza7 ba3d el mtar
“Look, a rainbow appeared after the rain.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9aws 9oza7” but also “kaws kouzah”, “9os 9za7”, “qaws qouza7” and “9aws 9za7”. 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; 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.