dada دادا
Tunisian Derja · noun
“dada” (دادا) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning nanny, woman who looks after children.
Meanings
- nanny, woman who looks after children
- affectionate term for an older sister
- familiar title for an older woman
Usage
Dada first refers to the woman who looks after the children of the house. The word keeps a strong emotional charge. It is often used as a title before a first name, for example "dada Aïcha". In many families, small children also call their older sister, or an older woman who helped raise them, by this name. The register is familiar and tender, especially in children's speech. It has nothing to do with the English "dada" (the art movement or baby talk for father). It does not refer to the mother.
Example
الصغار يحبّو دادا برشا
sghar y7ebbou dada barcha
“The little ones love their nanny very much.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “dada” but also “deda” and “daada”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.