wzir وزير
Tunisian Derja · noun
“wzir” (وزير) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning minister.
Meanings
- minister
- best man at a wedding
Usage
Wzir first means a government minister: wzir el kharjiya, wzir ettarbiya. The plural is wzara, and the ministry is called wizara. In traditional weddings, wzir el 3ris (or wzir mta3 el 3rous) is the groom's companion, his closest friend, who accompanies him throughout the festivities: the equivalent of the best man. This second sense often surprises English speakers, who think only of the political meaning. The feminine wzira is used for a woman minister.
Example
الوزير حكى في التلفزة البارح
el wzir 7ka fi ettalfza lbare7
“The minister spoke on TV yesterday.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “wzir” but also “wezir”, “ouzir” and “wazir”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “wzir” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “minister”; “groom's best man”: wzir in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “minister”: wazir in Algerian.