3arraf عراف
Tunisian Derja · noun
“3arraf” (عراف) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning fortune-teller, soothsayer.
Meanings
- fortune-teller, soothsayer
- folk healer, sorcerer
Usage
3arraf refers to the person one consults to learn the future, read palms, break a spell, or find a lost object. The feminine is 3arrafa. It is often cited alongside chouwef or in expressions like mcha l'3arraf, "he went to see a fortune-teller". The word often carries a pejorative or mocking nuance, as these practices are associated with charlatanism. An English speaker should not link it to "expert": 3arraf does not have that meaning in everyday use.
Example
أمها هزتها لعراف باش يقرالها الكف
ommha hazzitha l 3arraf bech yaqralha el kaff
“Her mother took her to a fortune-teller to have her palm read.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3arraf” but also “3arref”, “arraf”, “3araf” and “3errif”. 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.