# Tunisian dialect: stay where you are



## seta

Hello! I downloaded some Tunisian audiolesson to improve my knowledge of Tunisian. I have found the sentence "Ibqaa fi blastik". Could you tell me if "blast" mean place in Tunisian dialect? This sentence has been translated "stay where you are".Thank you in advance!


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## tounsi51

hey welcome back 

yes blassa= place or we can use bo9'3a (boq'aa) but to stay we use mostly o9'3od (oq'ood)

stay where you are= "o93od fi blastek" or "shedd blastek" (litteraly shed means to hold/to catch)


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## seta

Hi my friend! Yes, I've come back with millions of questions and doubts about Tunisian dialect! Thank you for not leaving me alone!


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## إسكندراني

Also often used in Moroccan, this one.
Probably best transcribed بلاصة


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## Schem

Not to derail the thread but any tip on the etymology of the word?


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## seta

It could be a loan from English word "place.
PLace - BLassa
hoSPital - SBital. What do you think?


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## cherine

I think it's French, not English, even though the two languages have "place", but the pronunciation differs, and Tunisian was/is more influenced by French than English.


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## tounsi51

Yes it is from French not English, as Tunisia was a French colony before


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## seta

Does Oq3od mean "to sit down" as well in Tunisian?


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## tounsi51

yes correct


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## seta

blastiy- blastik
blasta -blastu - blastna -blastkum -blasthum ?


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## Aloulu

o93ad ghadi (stay there), o93ad m3aye (stay with me-or hang on if your calling), oq3ad fi blastek (stay at your place), chedd blastek (more like an order: take your place/seat!).

blasa comes from place, used in all French speaking Maghreb countries instead of _makaan_.
1 blasa, many "blaays"...

"blas*i*tna", "blas*i*thom"... in some of these cases the "i" is added, for reasons of easier pronounciation it seems.


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## seta

Thank you everybody!


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## إسكندراني

Plural in Morocco is بلاصات blA:SA:t.


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## Schem

Oh I didn't know there was a French cognate. Thanks for clearing that up, Cherine.


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## tounsi51

We also use boq3a بقعة as much as blassa


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## cherine

Schem said:


> Oh I didn't know there was a French cognate. Thanks for clearing that up, Cherine.


You're most welcome, Schem.


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## makandés66

إسكندراني said:


> Plural in Morocco is بلاصات blA:SA:t.


I though I heard the plural as "blaais", using the broken plural form, when I was over there... Any thoughts?  
بلايص from بلائص


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## إسكندراني

Maybe I am wrong, but I think I heard بلاصات. Or maybe they use both. I'll check.


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## Finland

Hello! 

At leas in Algeria one hears both plurals: blayes and blasat.

HTH
S


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