louza لوزة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“louza” (لوزة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning an almond.
Meanings
- an almond
- tonsil
Usage
Louza refers to an almond, taken one by one. The collective is louz, "almonds". The word is everywhere in Tunisian pastry: baklawa, kaak warka, almond syrup called rouz louz. In the plural, louzet also refers to the tonsils, by analogy of shape. One says for example that a child has pain in the louzet, or that they were removed. Louza is also a traditional female first name. Context always distinguishes these senses.
Example
حطّ لوزة على كل حلوة
7ott louza 3la kol 7elwa
“Put an almond on each pastry.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “louza” but also “lowza”, “lwza” and “louz”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.