soubya سوبية
Tunisian Derja · noun
“soubya” (سوبية) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning cuttlefish (marine mollusc).
Meanings
- cuttlefish (marine mollusc)
Usage
Soubya refers to cuttlefish, widely eaten in Tunisia, especially along the coast. You buy it at the fish market and cook it in sauce, stuffed, grilled, or with pasta. The word is common in cooking and fishing vocabulary. Be careful not to confuse it with octopus, called karnit, or with squid, which has its own name. The word is used with the article (essoubya) to talk about the species or a dish. For a specific preparation, one says for example "bel soubya", meaning "with cuttlefish".
Example
السوبية تتحطّ وحدها وال حوت وحده .
Essoubya tethat wahhadHa wel hout wahdou .
“The cuttlefish goes on its own, and the fish on its own.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “soubya” but also “soubia”, “soupia”, “sobia” and “subya”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.