chouk شوك
Tunisian Derja · noun
“chouk” (شوك) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning thorns, spines (plants, animals).
Meanings
- thorns, spines (plants, animals)
- goosebumps (chouk lahmi)
Usage
Chouk refers to a plant's thorns, like those of the prickly pear cactus (hindi) or brambles, and to an animal's spines: hedgehog, sea urchin (qanfoud el bhar). It is a collective noun: one says fih barcha chouk, "there are lots of thorns". For a single thorn, chouka is used. The figurative expression chouk lahmi, literally "my flesh grew thorns", means "I got goosebumps". It is used in moments of emotion, fear or cold. The word belongs to everyday register. Note that it does not correspond to French "choc".
Example
ردّ بالك، الهندي فيه برشا شوك.
redd belek, el hindi fih barcha chouk.
“Watch out, prickly pears have lots of thorns.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chouk” but also “shouk”, “chok” and “chouq”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “chouk” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “thorns (collective)”; “tight spot, trouble”: chouk in Moroccan.