zayyer زير
Tunisian Derja · verb
“zayyer” (زير) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning tighten, squeeze.
Meanings
- tighten, squeeze
- put pressure on someone
- press, insist
Usage
Zayyer means "to tighten". It is used for a screw, a bolt, a belt, a knot, or for squeezing something. The present tense is yzayyer. Figuratively, zayyer 3la someone means to stay close on them, put pressure on them, or insist heavily. It is informal and very common. The antonym is rakhef ("to loosen"). Note: zir, without the doubled consonant, is a noun meaning a large jar, as in the proverb kol zir yelga ghtah. Do not confuse it with this verb.
Example
زيّر البرغي مليح باش ما يطيحش
zayyer el bourghi mli7 bech ma yti7ch
“Tighten the screw well so it doesn't fall out.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “zayyer” but also “zayer”, “zayar” and “zayyar”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “zayyer” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “to tighten, squeeze”; “to be strict with someone”: zeyyer in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “to tighten, squeeze”; “to pull oneself together, take care”: zayer in Algerian.