defa3 دافع
Tunisian Derja · verb
“defa3” (دافع) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to defend someone or something.
Meanings
- to defend someone or something
- to plead for, support a cause
Usage
Defa3 takes the preposition 3la: "defa3 3la rou7ou" (he defended himself), "defa3 3la 9adhiya" (to defend a cause). To say "defend oneself", use the reflexive with rou7; the form 3la nafsou also exists, but it sounds more literary. The verb is used in physical contexts (fights, sport) as well as moral ones (taking up the defence of a friend or an idea). The participle mdefe3 is used for a defender, notably in football.
Example
ال كلّها هزّ راي و دافع عال قضية ,
el kolha hezze raya ou defa3 3al 9adhiyè ,
“Everyone raised a banner and defended a cause.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “defa3” but also “dafa3”, “defe3”, “deffa3” and “difa3”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.
Type “defa3” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “to defend, protect”; “to plead (in court)”: dafe3 in Moroccan.