mous موس
Tunisian Derja · noun
“mous” (موس) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning knife.
Meanings
- knife
- razor blade
Usage
Mous is the usual word for "knife" in Tunisia, whether in the kitchen, at the table or as a pocket knife. The plural is mwes. The type of object is sometimes specified, as in mous mta3 lfakia for a fruit knife. The word can also mean a razor blade; you then hear mous lHjem, the barber's blade. In colloquial speech, mous also appears in images of violence or threat, so be careful depending on the context.
Example
عطيني الموس نقصّ الخبزة
a3tini el mous n9oss el khobza
“Give me the knife so I can cut the bread.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mous” but also “mouss”, “moos” and “mus”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “mous” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “knife”; “blade, pocket knife”: mous in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “knife”; “razor blade”: mous in Algerian.