صياد
ṣayyādeveryday
In Egyptian Arabic hunter is صياد (ṣayyād). Context matters, because صياد is also the usual word for a fisherman. It is also called قناص (qannāṣ).
Meaning: person who hunts (noun)
Ways to say it
| Egyptian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| صياد | ṣayyād | everyday |
| قناص | qannāṣ | sniper |
To make it clear, Egyptians add what is hunted: صياد سمك (ṣayyād samak), "fisherman", or صياد طيور (ṣayyād ṭuyūr), "bird hunter".
Which one should you use?
قناص (qannāṣ) means a sniper or a marksman and is not used for an ordinary hunter.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Hunting is not a common hobby in Egypt, so the word is heard more for fishermen along the Nile and the coast.
Did you know?
- In Egyptian Arabic صياد is used far more often for fishermen than for people who hunt animals on land.
Examples in context
- الصياد رمى الشبكة.eṣ-ṣayyād ramā eš-šabaka.The fisherman threw the net.
- أبويا كان صياد.abūya kān ṣayyād.My father was a fisherman.
- صياد الطيور مستني في الغيط.ṣayyād eṭ-ṭuyūr mistanni fil-ġēṭ.The bird hunter is waiting in the field.
Example conversation
Amr asks his uncle Fathy about his old job at the harbor in Damietta.
- Amrإنت كنت صياد يا عمي؟inta kunt ṣayyād ya ʿammi?Were you a fisherman, uncle?
- Fathyأيوه، أربعين سنة.aywa, arbaʿīn sana.Yes, forty years.
- Amrكنت بتصطاد إيه؟kunt bitiṣṭād ēh?What did you catch?
- Fathyسمك وجمبري.samak wi gambari.Fish and shrimp.
