tnaber تنابر
Tunisian Derja · noun
“tnaber” (تنابر) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning postage stamps.
Meanings
- postage stamps
- revenue stamps
Usage
Tnaber is the plural of tambri or tembri, an adapted borrowing from French 'timbre' (stamp). The plural follows an Arabic pattern, showing the word is fully integrated into Tunisian speech. It is used for postage stamps, which you buy at the bosta, the post office, and also for the revenue stamps required in administrative procedures: 7ott tambri, 'put a stamp on'. The word is common and neutral, used by all generations. Note that the singular and plural have very different forms, which may surprise an English speaker.
Example
لازمني زوز تنابر للجواب.
lazemni zouz tnaber lel jweb.
“I need two stamps for the letter.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tnaber” but also “tnabir”, “tenaber” and “tnabr”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.