barrani براني
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“barrani” (براني) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning outsider (to the family, group).
Meanings
- outsider (to the family, group)
- outer, from outside
- from elsewhere, not native
Usage
Barrani (feminine barraniya) comes from barra, outside. The word refers to someone who is not part of the family or close circle: "ma famma 7ad barrani", there is no outsider. It is also used for a person from another region or another city. Note that it is not the equivalent of "foreigner" in the sense of nationality: for a foreigner from another country, ajnabi is more usual. In a family context, calling someone barrani marks distance, sometimes a reproach.
Example
هو مش براني، هو من العايلة
howa mech barrani, howa mel 3ayla
“He's not an outsider, he's family.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “barrani” but also “berrani”, “barani” and “barraniya”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “barrani” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “stranger, unknown person”; “foreign, foreigner (from another country)”: berrani in Algerian.