dostour دستور
Tunisian Derja · noun
“dostour” (دستور) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning constitution (a state's fundamental law).
Meanings
- constitution (a state's fundamental law)
- phrase asking permission before acting
Usage
Dostour first designates the country's constitution. The word is very present in political debate, on the radio and on social media: people speak of "mochrou3 dostour" (draft constitution) or "el dostour jdid" (the new constitution). It belongs to the vocabulary shared by Standard Arabic and everyday speech, with the same pronunciation. In traditional usage, "dostour" is also used on its own as a formula to ask permission, for example before pouring hot water on the ground. Not to be confused with the proper name of the historic party, which is capitalized in French.
Example
الدستور الجديد فيه برشا فصول تبدلت.
el dostour ejdid fih barcha fsoul tbadlet.
“The new constitution has many articles that changed.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “dostour” but also “destour”, “dustur” and “dastour”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “dostour” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “constitution (legal text)”; “formula asking permission”: dostour in Moroccan.