mastra مسطرة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“mastra” (مسطرة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning ruler for drawing and measuring.
Meanings
- ruler for drawing and measuring
Usage
Mastra refers to the schoolchild's or draftsman's ruler, made of plastic, wood or metal. It is the usual word at school and in the office. One says mastra mta3 tlethin for a thirty-centimetre ruler, and 'arrasm bil-mastra' for "draw with a ruler". The common plural is mastrat or msater. Note: the word does not mean a rule in the sense of a law or principle; for that, one says qa3da or qanoun. In youth slang, the word is also heard in slang uses whose meaning varies. It is best not to repeat them without knowing the context.
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mastra” but also “mestra”, “mastara” and “msatra”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “mastra” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “ruler for drawing, measuring”; “school ruler”: mestara in Moroccan.