achnouwa اشنوة
Tunisian Derja · pronoun
“achnouwa” (اشنوة) is a pronoun in Tunisian Derja meaning what, what is it that.
Meanings
- what, what is it that
- which (before a noun)
Usage
Achnouwa is a variant of chnouwa, the interrogative pronoun "what". It is used at the start of a question: "achnouwa t7eb?" (what do you want?). Placed before a noun, it comes close to "which": "achnouwa el klem hedha?" (what is this talk?). It can also express astonishment or annoyance. The form with initial a- is a little more emphatic and its frequency varies by region. In the feminine, some say achniya or chniya.
Example
اشنوة صار البارح؟
achnouwa sar el bere7 ?
“What happened yesterday?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “achnouwa” but also “achnowa”, “echnouwa” and “achnoua”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.