3afw عفو
Tunisian Derja · noun
“3afw” (عفو) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning pardon, granted clemency.
Meanings
- pardon, granted clemency
- amnesty, presidential pardon
- divine mercy (in invocations)
Usage
The word 3afw refers to the pardon granted to someone, especially by an authority. In Tunisian current affairs, it is commonly used for the amnesty or presidential pardon granted to prisoners, in expressions such as "3ta 3afw" (to grant a pardon) or "3afw tachri3i" (legislative amnesty). In religious invocations, it refers to God's forgiveness and appears in formulas learned by heart. The register is rather formal or administrative. For forgiveness between close people, one more readily says "smah" or "samme7ni" (forgive me). It should not be confused with "3afwan", which is used to reply to thanks.
Example
الرئيس عطا عفو على برشا مساجين
erraïs 3ta 3afw 3la barcha msejin
“The president granted a pardon to many prisoners.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3afw” but also “3afou”, “3afwou”, “3afo” and “afw”. 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.