sess ساس
Tunisian Derja · noun
“sess” (ساس) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning foundation, groundwork.
Meanings
- foundation, groundwork
- basis, solid ground
Usage
Sess means the foundation of a building, in the literal sense, and the basis of an idea or a relationship, in the figurative sense. It is heard above all in the very common expression ma 3andha la sess la ras, "it has neither head nor tail". It applies to remarks or projects with no basis or coherence. In construction, one says 7allou essess, "they dug the foundations". The word belongs to the everyday register. It should not be confused with ses, "he managed, he ran", which comes from a different root.
Example
الحكاية هاذي ما عندها لا ساس لا راس.
el 7keya hedhi ma 3andha la sess la ras.
“This story makes no sense at all.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sess” but also “sas”, “ssas” and “sees”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “sess” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “foundations of a building”; “basis, origin (figurative)”: sas in Moroccan.