t7in طحين
Tunisian Derja · noun
“t7in” (طحين) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning flour.
Meanings
- flour
- meal, anything ground
Usage
T7in means flour, especially the white wheat flour bought for pastry, crepes (mlewi, m7ajeb) or homemade bread. It is distinct from smid, semolina, the base of couscous and many traditional breads. An English speaker may confuse the two. One says "kilo t7in" or "chkara t7in" (a sack of flour). The word comes from the verb t7an, "to grind". It can therefore also mean, more generally, whatever comes out of the mill. The word is common in everyday cooking and at the market.
Example
جيبلي كيلو طحين من الحانوت.
jibli kilo t7in mel 7anout.
“Bring me a kilo of flour from the shop.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “t7in” but also “te7in” and “tahin”. 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.