s9a سقى

Tunisian Derja · verb

“s9a” (سقى) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to water, to irrigate (plants, soil).

Meanings

1. to water, to irrigate (plants, soil)
2. to drench a dish (syrup, sauce)
3. to give water to (livestock)

Usage

Sqa (imperfective yes9i) is the everyday verb for watering plants, a garden or a field. It takes a direct object: yes9i ezzra3, yes9i ejjnina. In cooking, it is also used for drenching a preparation, for example pastries soaked in syrup. For animals, it means giving them water. The register is neutral and everyday. The proverb of classical origin about reaping what one has watered is known, but spoken usage remains mostly concrete. Sga is heard in some regions.

Example

How to write it in Latin letters

In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “s9a” but also “sqa”, “sga”, “yes9i” and “es9i”. 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.

Type “s9a” on the Arabic keyboard

In Moroccan Darija

Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “to water, to irrigate”; “to give a drink to”: s9a in Moroccan.