Tunisian Arabic: salt

[Hemza]

Hello,

I went to Tunis last week (it was a wonderful trip, I advise people who go there to board the TGM train to سيدي بو سعيد you won't regret it) and I was in the presence of a Turkish friend of mine (who speaks French but not Arabic) with a group of Turkish people who speak neither Arabic nor French (but English). So we were amongst my friend's wife family (they invited us for dinner, they're from قرمبالية) and at one moment, a Turkish man asked for salt. I told to the wife's father (who is around 50-55 years old) عندكم ملح؟ and he told me that ملح was كلمة خايبة and that they don't use it (I didn't dare to ask why). He told me "we call salt ربح" which was the first time I came across this word with such meaning . To which extent such belief is spread in Tunisia?

Thank you.

 

[Sadda7]

It exists in Algeria too, I think it has to do with good omens and probably because salt is related to some superstitions.

 

[djara]

It used to be a form of politeness. You were supposed to use euphemisms for "unpleasant" things.
In the same category: بياض for فحم (coal) عدة إيدك for خمسة (five, used against the evil eye) ولد البحر for حوت (fish, used against the evil eye) ولد القمرة for فقوس (cucumber; فقوسbeing perceived as a phallic evocation)

 

[tounsi51]

Hello,

I went to Tunis last week (it was a wonderful trip, I advise people who go there to board the TGM train to سيدي بو سعيد you won't regret it) and I was in the presence of a Turkish friend of mine (who speaks French but not Arabic) with a group of Turkish people who speak neither Arabic nor French (but English). So we were amongst my friend's wife family (they invited us for dinner, they're from قرمبالية) and at one moment, a Turkish man asked for salt. I told to the wife's father (who is around 50-55 years old) عندكم ملح؟ and he told me that ملح was كلمة خايبة and that they don't use it (I didn't dare to ask why). He told me "we call salt ربح" which was the first time I came across this word with such meaning . To which extent such belief is spread in Tunisia?

Thank you.

It depends on families or region. Never heard ربح in my family at least

Glad you enjoyed your trip!

 

[Hemza]

It exists in Algeria too, I think it has to do with good omens and probably because salt is related to some superstitions.

So مليح is fine but not ملح? Joking .

It used to be a form of politeness. You were supposed to use euphemisms for "unpleasant" things.
In the same category: بياض for فحم (coal) عدة إيدك for خمسة (five, used against the evil eye) ولد البحر for حوت (fish, used against the evil eye) ولد القمرة for فقوس (cucumber; فقوسbeing perceived as a phallic evocation)

These circumlocutions are funny . There are definitely such expressions used in Morocco but to my knowledge, unrelated to the things you quoted.

It depends on families or region. Never heard ربح in my family at least

Glad you enjoyed your trip!

يعيّشك . Of course, it varies according to the area and to the family's beliefs.