dhra3 ذراع
Tunisian Derja · noun
“dhra3” (ذراع) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning arm, forearm.
Meanings
- arm, forearm
- strength, courage, grit
- armed wing, proxy (figurative)
Usage
Dhra3, often pronounced "dra3", refers to the arm, especially the forearm. Figuratively, it expresses strength and boldness. "3andek dhra3 ?" is a challenge meaning "do you have the guts?". "Bel dhra3" means "by force". In political usage, people speak of the "dhra3" of a party or a country to mean its relay or instrument. The plural is "dhra3at". Pitfall for an English speaker: for the hand or the whole limb, people rather say "yed". Dhra3 mainly refers to the part between the elbow and the wrist, or the strength associated with it.
Example
طاح وتكسّرلو ذراعو.
ta7 w tkassrlou dhra3ou.
“He fell and broke his arm.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “dhra3” but also “dra3”, “dhraa” and “draa”. 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.