9ton قطن
Tunisian Derja · noun
“9ton” (قطن) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning cotton (fibre, fabric).
Meanings
- cotton (fibre, fabric)
- cotton wool, absorbent cotton
Usage
Common noun for cotton fibre and fabric. It is used mostly to talk about the composition of a garment or linen, often with a percentage: "mia bel mia 9ton" means "one hundred percent cotton". It is placed directly after the noun to describe the material, without a preposition: "mrioul 9ton" (a cotton T-shirt). It also refers to the cotton you buy at the pharmacy. The q is often pronounced g in some regions. In town, "koton", borrowed from French, is also heard. It should not be confused with the standard Arabic verb "qaṭana" (to reside), which is not used in derja.
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9ton” but also “qton”, “koton”, “gton” and “9otn”. 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.
Type “9ton” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “cotton (material, fabric)”; “cotton wool”: 9ten in Moroccan.