n9az نڨز
Tunisian Derja · verb
“n9az” (نڨز) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to jump, to leap.
Meanings
- to jump, to leap
- to jump at, pounce on
Usage
Nagez (imperfect yungez) is the everyday verb for "to jump" in Tunisia. One says nagez mel fou9, "he jumped from above", or nagez fel bhar, "he jumped into the sea". With 3la, it means "to jump on" literally, and figuratively "to jump at" an opportunity or an offer, often with a nuance of eagerness or opportunism. The verbal noun is nagza, "a jump". The letter ڨ transcribes the sound g: n9az and ngaz are two spellings of the same word. The register is colloquial but neutral.
Example
الطفل نڨز من فوق الحيط
etfol nagez mel fou9 el 7it
“The child jumped from the top of the wall.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “n9az” but also “ngaz”, “nagez”, “n9ez”, “ngez” and “n9z”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.