fakia فاكية
Tunisian Derja · noun
“fakia” (فاكية) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning dried fruits and nuts (almonds, hazelnuts…).
Meanings
- dried fruits and nuts (almonds, hazelnuts…)
- nut and dried-fruit topping on a dish
Usage
Fakia refers collectively to dried fruits and nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts, peanuts, sometimes raisins. It is a collective noun, used without a plural: one says nechri chwaya fakia (“I'm buying some dried fruits and nuts”). The word often comes up in cooking, to garnish bsissa, assida or pastries, and in the context of celebrations, where fakia is served to guests. Pitfall: the word resembles the Standard Arabic word for “fruit”, but in Tunisian it does not mean fresh fruit. For that, use ghalla or the name of each fruit.
Example
حطّ شويّة فاكية على العصيدة.
7ott chwaya fakia 3al 3assida.
“Put a little dried fruit and nuts on the assida.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “fakia” but also “fekia”, “fakya”, “fékia” and “fekya”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.