5rafa خرافة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“5rafa” (خرافة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning folk tale, traditional story.
Meanings
- folk tale, traditional story
- myth, baseless claim
Usage
5rafa refers to the traditional tale that grandmothers tell children. People say "a7kili 5rafa" (tell me a story). Many tales begin with the formula "kan ya ma kan". By extension, the word describes a claim considered false or a widespread rumour: "hedhi 5rafa", that's a myth, it has no basis. This second use is common in political debates and on television. The plural is 5rafet.
Example
جدتي كانت تحكيلنا خرافة كل ليلة
jadti kanet te7kilna 5rafa kol lila
“My grandmother used to tell us a tale every night.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “5rafa” but also “khrafa”, “khourafa” and “5ourafa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.