9sour قصور
Tunisian Derja · noun
“9sour” (قصور) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning palaces, castles (plural).
Meanings
- palaces, castles (plural)
- ksour, fortified granaries of the South
Usage
9sour is the plural of 9sar (palace, castle). In the Tunisian South, the word also refers to the ksour, the fortified granaries with cells typical of the Tataouine region. It appears in many place names, such as Ksour Essef or Ksar Hellal. It must then be capitalized and treated as a proper noun. People say "ybni 9sour fil hwe", "to build palaces in the air", of someone who makes unrealistic plans. It is the equivalent of "building castles in the air". The Standard Arabic sense of "shortcoming, inadequacy" exists, but not in everyday Derja.
Example
خلّيك واقعي، ما تبنيش قصور في الهوا.
khallik wa9i3i, ma tebnich 9sour fil hwe.
“Be realistic, don't build castles in the air.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9sour” but also “ksour”, “gsour”, “qsour” and “9sor”. 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.