ka3ba كعبة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“ka3ba” (كعبة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning piece, unit (for counting).
Meanings
- piece, unit (for counting)
- chunk, square, cube
Usage
Ka3ba is mainly a counting word for objects or foods counted by the unit: ka3ba khobz (a loaf of bread), zouz ka3bet brik (two briks), ka3ba 7lib (a carton of milk). The plural is ka3bet. In cooking, it also means a cut piece, a small square of dough. The diminutive k3iba (plural k3ibet) is very common, either affectionate or to stress the small size. Pitfall for an English speaker: the word does not evoke the Kaaba in Mecca here; context decides. Familiar, everyday register, especially at the market and at home.
Example
جيبلي زوز كعبات خبز
jibli zouz ka3bet khobz
“Bring me two loaves of bread.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ka3ba” but also “k3iba”, “ka3bet”, “kaaba” and “k3ibet”. 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.