insen انسان
Tunisian Derja · noun
“insen” (انسان) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning human being, person.
Meanings
- human being, person
- decent, worthy person
Usage
Insen means a person, a human being, often with a moral nuance: "ykoun insen" means to behave with humanity, to have a heart. The feminine ensena is used for a woman ("hiya ensena mezyena", she's a good woman). It is heard in expressions like "insen kbir fel 3mor" (an elderly person). The word is shared with Standard Arabic but is perfectly integrated into derja, with a local pronunciation in which the initial i often becomes e. To say "people" in general, ennes is preferred.
Example
تحبّ تكون وحدها مرتاحة تبدا إنسان قارية و تخدم و لاباس عليها
theb tkou wahadha merteha tebda ensena 9aria w tekdem w lebes aliha
“She likes to be alone and at peace; she's an educated person who works and is doing fine.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “insen” but also “ensen”, “ensena”, “insena” and “ensan”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “insen” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “human being, person”; “decent person, good human”: insan in Moroccan.