ayaw اياو
Tunisian Derja · interjection
“ayaw” (اياو) is an interjection in Tunisian Derja meaning come on!, let's go! (plural).
Meanings
- come on!, let's go! (plural)
- hurry up! (plural)
Usage
Ayaw is the plural form of aya, the most common Tunisian interjection for urging action or departure. It is addressed to several people, or to a group you belong to: "come on!", "let's go!". It is very often followed by 3ad, which marks impatience: ayaw 3ad, "come on already!". You hear it in all informal contexts: among friends, in the family, to hurry children along. Pitfall for an English speaker: don't use it for a single person, to whom you say aya.
Example
اياو عاد، فاتنا الوقت!
ayaw 3ad, fatna el wa9t!
“Come on already, we're out of time!”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ayaw” but also “ayew”, “iyaw” and “ayyaw”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.