kettan كتان
Tunisian Derja · noun
“kettan” (كتان) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning linen (fabric).
Meanings
- linen (fabric)
- flax (plant, fibre)
Usage
Kettan refers to linen, especially as a light, cool fabric prized in summer for shirts, dresses and trousers. It is used directly after the garment's name, with no preposition: serwal kettan, "linen trousers", roba kettan, "linen dress". It also appears in descriptions of trousseau items and traditional household linen. Do not confuse with kēn, "he was", which can look similar in careless writing.
Example
شريت سروال كتان للصيف
chrit serwal kettan lessif
“I bought linen trousers for the summer.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “kettan” but also “kittan”, “ketten” and “kattan”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “kettan” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “flax (plant, seeds)”; “linen cloth”: kettan in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “linen (fabric)”; “flax (plant)”: kettan in Algerian.