bounia بونية
Tunisian Derja · noun
“bounia” (بونية) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning punch.
Meanings
- punch
Usage
Bounia means a punch. It is a very common, informal word. It is used mostly with the verbs 3ta ("to give") and dhrab ("to hit"): 3tah bounia, "he punched him" (literally "gave him a punch"), or dhrabou bounia. The most common plural is bouniet. In threats or jokes, it appears in phrases like nfarkek bounia, an informal way of promising someone a beating. Note: bounia does not mean the fist itself, which is more often called kemcha or yed msakra. It always means the blow delivered.
Example
عطاه بونية في وجهو
3tah bounia fi wejhou
“He punched him in the face.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “bounia” but also “bounya”, “bouniya” and “bouniaa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.