fer3oun فرعون
Moroccan Darija · noun
“fer3oun” (فرعون) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning pharaoh.
Meanings
- pharaoh
- tyrant, arrogant person
Usage
Fer3oun first means Pharaoh, the figure from religious accounts. It also refers to the kings of ancient Egypt. Figuratively, it stands for pride and tyranny. Someone authoritarian, unjust or arrogant is called fer3oun: wlli fer3oun (he has become a real tyrant). It is often applied to a harsh boss or leader. The plural fra3na is heard mostly for historical pharaohs. The spelling fir3awn reflects the classical pronunciation. In spoken Moroccan, people say fer3oun.
Example
المدير ديالنا فرعون، ما كيرحم حد
l-mudir dyalna fer3oun, ma kayr7em 7ed
“Our director is a tyrant, he spares no one.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “fer3oun” but also “fir3awn”, “far3oun” and “fir3oun”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.
Type “fer3oun” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “pharaoh (ruler of Egypt)”; “tyrant, arrogant man”: far3oun in Tunisian.