k3iba كعيبة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“k3iba” (كعيبة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning a single small unit, one piece.
Meanings
- a single small unit, one piece
- little bit, little thing
Usage
K3iba is the diminutive of ka3ba, "piece, unit", a word used for counting objects (ka3bet tmatem, "one tomato"). The diminutive stresses small size or the fact that there is only one: "k3iba barka", "just one". It is often used tenderly, including to talk about a person or an only child. The tone is familiar and affectionate. Depending on context, it can be rendered as "just one", "a little one" or "a little bit". This word has no connection with the Kaaba in Mecca.
Example
عطيني كعيبة برك، ما نحبش برشا
a3tini k3iba bark, ma n7ebbech barcha
“Give me just one little piece, I don't want a lot.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “k3iba” but also “kaaiba”, “k3ayba” and “ka3iba”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.