seb7a سبحة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“seb7a” (سبحة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning Muslim prayer beads.
Meanings
- Muslim prayer beads
Usage
Seb7a refers to the prayer beads that are counted off while reciting phrases of praise. They are seen mostly in the hands of elderly or devout people, and many men also fiddle with them out of habit. The associated verb is "chadd seb7a" (to hold prayer beads). The expression often comes up ironically: telling someone "chedd seb7a" amounts to advising them to withdraw and devote themselves to prayer given their age, or mocking an ostentatious piety. The usual plural is "sba7i".
Example
جدي ديما شاد سبحة في يدو.
jeddi dima chedd seb7a fi ydou.
“My grandfather always has prayer beads in his hand.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “seb7a” but also “sebha”, “sab7a”, “sb7a” and “sebhaa”. 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.