9fass قفص
Tunisian Derja · noun
“9fass” (قفص) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning cage (for birds, animals).
Meanings
- cage (for birds, animals)
- dock (in court)
Usage
9fass first means a cage, especially the birdcage hung in Tunisian homes for a canary or a goldfinch: 9fass 3asfour. The word is also used figuratively for a place where one feels shut in, for example a house or a situation one cannot get out of. The expression 9fass el ittiham, "the dock", comes from journalistic and legal language. Not to be confused with 9offa, "basket, couffin", which is a different word.
Example
حطّ العصفور في القفص وسكّر الباب
7ott el 3asfour fel 9fass w sakker el beb
“Put the bird in the cage and close the door.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9fass” but also “9fas”, “9afas”, “kfas” and “9fes”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.