ta9tia3 تقطيع
Tunisian Derja · noun
“ta9tia3” (تقطيع) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning cutting up.
Meanings
- cutting up
- blocking (roads)
- repeated interruptions, cuts
Usage
Ta9tia3 is the action noun of the verb 9atta3, "to cut into pieces". In cooking, it refers to cutting up meat or vegetables. It is also used for blocking roads (ta9tia3 ttor9at) and for repeated interruptions, for example water or power cuts. With a time complement, it can suggest a choppy or interrupted period. The simple verb 9ta3, "to cut", rather gives 9ta3a, "a cut". The context shows which meaning is intended.
Example
التقطيع متاع اللحم ياخو وقت.
ta9tia3 mta3 la7am yekhou wa9t.
“Cutting up the meat takes time.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ta9tia3” but also “t9ati3” and “ta9ti3”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent; 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.