sa7el ساحل
Tunisian Derja · noun
“sa7el” (ساحل) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning the Tunisian Sahel (coastal region).
Meanings
- the Tunisian Sahel (coastal region)
- coast, shore
Usage
In Tunisia, sa7el refers mainly, with the article (essa7el), to the coastal region of the east-center: Sousse, Monastir, Mahdia and their surroundings. An inhabitant of this region is a sa7li, feminine sa7lia. The general sense of "coast, shore" also exists, but to talk about the beach or seaside one rather uses b7ar or chatt. Note: this Sahel has nothing to do with the Sahel zone of West Africa. For example, one says "mchit lessa7el" for "I went to the Sahel". The word often comes up in discussions about regional origins and rivalries between regions.
Example
من وقتاش احنا فا ساحل
men wa9tech a7na fa sa7el
“Since when have we been in the Sahel?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sa7el” but also “sahel”, “sahil” and “sa7il”. 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.