wdhen وذن
Tunisian Derja · noun
“wdhen” (وذن) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning ear.
Meanings
- ear
- handle (of a pot)
Usage
Wdhen is the usual word for "ear" in Tunisian. With a possessive, the initial vowel appears: wedhni (my ear), wedhnek (your ear). The plural is wdhenet or, in some regions, wdhen. The word appears in common expressions: "wdhen tesma3 w wdhen ma tesma3ch" (one ear that hears, the other that doesn't), said of someone who pretends not to listen, or "fi wedhnou" for a secret whispered in the ear. By extension, it is also used for the handle of a pot or jug.
Example
وذني توجع فيّا
wedhni tewja3 fiya
“My ear hurts.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “wdhen” but also “wden”, “wedhen”, “oudhen”, “wdhn” and “wdhan”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Its Arabic spelling is not fixed either: you will find وذن and ودن, all the same word.
Type “wdhen” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
The same word also exists in Moroccan Darija, written ودن, where it means “ear”; “handle (of a vessel)”: wden in Moroccan.