kesswa كسوة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“kesswa” (كسوة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning suit, outfit.
Meanings
- suit, outfit
- uniform
- wedding dress, traditional outfit
Usage
Kesswa refers to a complete set of clothes or an outfit. For a man, it is often the suit and tie ("kesswa w karavata"). In the construct state it is "keswet": "keswet el bolis" is the police uniform. For a woman, the word often refers to wedding outfits or traditional dress, as in "kesswet el 3rousa". The plural is "kssé". It is not the generic word for "clothes", which is "7wayej". The verb from the same family, "kssa", means "to dress someone, to give someone clothes".
Example
شرى كسوة جديدة للعرس.
chra kesswa jdida lel 3ors.
“He bought a new suit for the wedding.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “kesswa” but also “keswa”, “kiswa”, “kaswa”, “kessoua” and “kiswaa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Its Arabic spelling is not fixed either: you will find كسوة and كسوه, all the same word.
Type “kesswa” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “dress (women's garment)”; “outfit, clothes”: keswa in Moroccan.