maskout مسكوت
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“maskout” (مسكوت) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning hushed up, taboo.
Meanings
- hushed up, taboo
Usage
Maskout is almost always used in the construction "maskout 3lih / 3leha / 3lihom", which means "that is not talked about" or "hushed up". It comes from the standard formula "maskout 3anhou", adapted to the spoken dialect. It is used for a taboo subject, a social phenomenon or a scandal that nobody mentions, for example in "mouch maskout 3lih" (it is talked about openly). The register is rather formal: you hear it in debates, on the radio or in serious discussions. On its own, the word does not mean "silent". For that, people say "saket".
Example
الموضوع هذا مسكوت عليه في البلاد
el mawdhou3 hedha maskout 3lih fil bled
“This subject is hushed up in the country.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “maskout” but also “masskout” and “meskout”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.