7arraga حراقة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“7arraga” (حراقة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning irregular migrants (by sea).
Meanings
- irregular migrants (by sea)
- an irregular migrant
Usage
7arraga refers to people who leave clandestinely for Europe, generally by boat to Italy. The word is most often taken as a plural, with the singular "7arrag". The act itself is called "el 7ar9a" and the corresponding verb is "7ra9" ("7ra9 l Telyen": he left clandestinely for Italy). The term is in general use, in conversation as well as in the media. Depending on the context, it can be neutral, sympathetic or pejorative. It has passed into French unchanged as "harraga".
Example
الحراقة وصلوا لطليان
el 7arraga wslou ltelyen
“The migrants arrived in Italy.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7arraga” but also “harraga”, “7arra9a” and “harraqa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat; 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.