s7our سحور
Tunisian Derja · noun
“s7our” (سحور) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning pre-dawn Ramadan meal (suhur).
Meanings
- pre-dawn Ramadan meal (suhur)
Usage
S7our is the meal eaten during Ramadan before dawn and the imsak, after which the fast begins. One says nets7arrou, "we have suhur", and wa9t es-s7our, "suhur time". In Tunisia this meal is often light: masfouf, assida, sweet couscous with milk, dates, yogurt. You can also say fat le s7our for "I missed it". The bou tbila is the tambourine player who goes through the streets to wake people up at this hour. Do not confuse this word with s7or or s7ar, "sorcery".
Example
قومنا مع الثلاثة باش نتسحروا، السحور كان مسفوف.
9omna m3a ethlatha bech nets7arrou, es-s7our ken masfouf.
“We got up at three to have suhur; it was masfouf.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “s7our” but also “shour”, “sohour”, “sahour” and “s7or”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.