fet7a فاتحة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“fet7a” (فاتحة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning opening sura of the Quran.
Meanings
- opening sura of the Quran
- Fatiha recitation sealing an engagement
- (feminine participle) open
Usage
El fet7a first refers to the first sura of the Quran, recited in every prayer and in memory of the dead: "a9ra el fet7a 3la rou7ou" (recite the Fatiha for his soul). By extension, "9raw el fet7a" refers to the ceremony in which the two families seal an engagement through this recitation. The same form, without the article and pronounced fet7a, is also the feminine participle of "to open": "el 7anout fet7a" (the shop is open). Context tells the two meanings apart.
Example
اقرا الفاتحة على روحو
a9ra el fet7a 3la rou7ou
“Recite the Fatiha for the repose of his soul.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “fet7a” but also “fat7a”, “fetha”, “fatha” and “fati7a”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.