3rab عرب
Tunisian Derja · noun
“3rab” (عرب) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning Arabs, the Arab people.
Meanings
- Arabs, the Arab people
- country people, rural folk
Usage
The word 3rab is the collective plural meaning the Arabs. The singular is 3arbi (an Arab man), and 3arbiya in the feminine. In Tunisia, the word is used in discussions about identity, politics or the Arab world, often with a critical or ironic nuance. In colloquial speech, the adjective 3arbi can also describe what is local and traditional, as opposed to what is imported: khobz 3arbi means homemade bread. Depending on the context, 3rab can also mean people from the countryside. Note: 3arbi also means the Arabic language.
Example
العرب الكل يتفرجوا في الماتش هذا
el3rab lkol yetfarjou fel match hedha
“All the Arabs are watching this match.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3rab” but also “arab” and “3reb”. 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.