thour ثور
Tunisian Derja · noun
“thour” (ثور) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning bull, ox.
Meanings
- bull, ox
- (pejorative) dumb, stubborn person
Usage
Thour first refers to the bull or ox, the working and butcher animal. In conversation it is very often used as a contemptuous label for someone considered stupid, dull, or narrow-minded: "inti thour", "kif ethour". This use is informal and can offend. It is mainly used among close people or in an argument, and has no place in a polite context. The common plural is thiran. An English speaker should know the insult targets stupidity and stubbornness. It does not target strength, unlike some French imagery around the bull.
Example
الفلاح عندو ثور كبير في الحوش
el fella7 3andou thour kbir fil 7ouch
“The farmer has a big bull in the yard.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “thour” but also “tour”, “thor” and “tor”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.