henchir هنشير
Tunisian Derja · noun
“henchir” (هنشير) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning agricultural estate, large landholding.
Meanings
- agricultural estate, large landholding
- rural land (in place names)
Usage
Henchir refers to a large agricultural property: grain land, an olive grove or an orchard, often in the countryside. It is readily followed by the owner's name: henchir flên (so-and-so's estate). The word also appears in many Tunisian place names, since many localities have a name beginning with Henchir. The plural is hnâchir. The term is common, but it belongs mostly to the rural world and to conversations about land and inheritance. It is not a mere garden: for a small plot, people rather say jnên or sênia.
Example
عندو هنشير زيتون في صفاقس
3andou henchir zitoun fi sfax
“He owns an olive estate in Sfax.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “henchir” but also “hanchir”, “henshir” and “hencheer”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.