dhabet ضابط
Tunisian Derja · noun
“dhabet” (ضابط) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning officer (army, police).
Meanings
- officer (army, police)
- ranking officer, policeman
Usage
Dhabet means an officer in the army, the police or the national guard. The word comes from common Arabic and is in everyday use in Tunisia. In speech, it is also used respectfully to address a policeman: "si dhabet", somewhat like "officer". The expression "dhabet saff" corresponds to "non-commissioned officer". The plural is dhobbat. Do not confuse it with the adjective dhabet, "precise, rigorous", which has the same root. The register is neutral.
Example
ولدها ضابط في الجيش.
weldha dhabet fil jich.
“Her son is an officer in the army.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “dhabet” but also “dhabit” and “dabet”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “dhabet” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “officer (army, police)”; “ranking police officer”: dabit in Moroccan.