sejra سجرة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“sejra” (سجرة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning tree.
Meanings
- tree
Usage
Sejra is the usual word for "tree" in Tunisia. Standard Arabic uses a palatalized (sh-like) consonant, but the common Tunisian pronunciation turns it into "s". The plural is sjar or sjour, and the diminutive sjira refers to a small tree or shrub. It is used for any tree, fruit-bearing or not, hence expressions like sejrat zitoun (olive tree) or sejrat karmous (fig tree). The word also appears in phrases of location such as "taht sejra", "under a tree". In writing, a spelling with the sh-like consonant, closer to standard Arabic, is also found.
Example
قعدنا تحت سجرة الزيتون في الظل.
93adna ta7t sejrat ezzitoun fi dhell.
“We sat in the shade under the olive tree.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sejra” but also “sajra” and “sejjra”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.