ghossa غصة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“ghossa” (غصة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning grief, pain that tightens the throat.
Meanings
- grief, pain that tightens the throat
- lingering bitterness, resentment
Usage
Ghossa refers to a pain or vexation that you cannot get rid of, felt like a lump in the throat. It is used after a disappointment, an injustice or a defeat, often with the verbs qa3ad ("to stay") or 3mal ("to make"): qa3datli ghossa, "it stuck in my throat". The word is also used to taunt someone, for example after a match, in the sense of "you're still choking on it". It belongs to the common, colloquial register. It is stronger than "disappointment" and implies lasting resentment.
Example
قعدتلي غصة في قلبي من كلامو
9a3detli ghossa fi galbi men klemou
“His words left a lasting ache in my heart.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ghossa” but also “8ossa”, “ghoussa”, “ghassa” and “8oussa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 8 is light ha (ه) or ghayn (غ), depending on the writer.