hajj هج
Tunisian Derja · verb
“hajj” (هج) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to flee, run away.
Meanings
- to flee, run away
- to leave the country, emigrate
- to clear off, bolt
Usage
Hajj means to flee or leave in a hurry to escape something or someone. It is a very common, informal verb. It takes men: hajj mel dar (he ran away from home), hajj mel bled (he fled the country). The present is yhejj. The imperative hejj ! means "beat it!" or "get lost!". The participle hajj means a fugitive. Careful: the word has nothing to do with the pilgrimage (el 7ajj), which is written with a different consonant in Arabic. In a story, hajj often suggests a shameful flight or desertion.
Example
كي شاف البوليس هج وخلّى كل شي.
ki chef el boulis hajj w khalla kol chay.
“When he saw the police, he fled and left everything behind.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “hajj” but also “haj”, “hej” and “hejj”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.