chitan شيطان
Tunisian Derja · noun
“chitan” (شيطان) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning devil, demon, Satan.
Meanings
- devil, demon, Satan
- rascal, unruly child
- cunning or malicious person
Usage
Chitan means the devil, Satan or a demon, in a religious sense. It appears in common formulas such as a3oudhou billeh mel chitan, or ech-chitan l3eb bih, "the devil led him astray". The plural is chwaten. Figuratively, an unruly child is called a chitan, or kids chwaten. The tone is then often affectionate, like "little devil" in English. Applied to an adult, the word becomes pejorative: it describes someone cunning, sly or ill-intentioned. Context and intonation tell teasing from reproach.
Example
الشيطان لعب بمخّو وعمل هكّا
ech-chitan l3eb b mo55ou w 3mel hakka
“The devil messed with his mind and he did that.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chitan” but also “chaytan”, “shitan”, “chitane” and “chaitan”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “chitan” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “devil, demon”; “mischievous or cheeky person”: chitan in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “devil, Satan, demon”; “mischievous child; cunning person”: chitane in Algerian.