chahid شهيد
Tunisian Derja · noun
“chahid” (شهيد) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning martyr.
Meanings
- martyr
- one who died for the homeland
Usage
Chahid refers to a person who died for their faith, their country or a cause. The plural is chouhada. In Tunisia, the word is very often used for the victims of the revolution, and for soldiers and officers killed in the line of duty: people speak of the chouhada el watan. In popular religion, it is also said of people who died in certain circumstances, such as drowning or an accident, with the expression mét chahid, "he died a martyr". The register is respectful, sometimes solemn. The feminine is chahida. The word does not have the nuance of exaggeration that "martyr" can have in casual speech.
Example
بوه مات شهيد وهو يدافع على البلاد
bouh mét chahid w houwa ydéfe3 3al blèd
“His father died a martyr defending the country.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chahid” but also “chahed”, “shahid” and “chahiid”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “chahid” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “martyr”; “witness (especially God)”: chahid in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “martyr”; “fighter killed for independence”: chahid in Algerian.