far3oun فرعون
Tunisian Derja · noun
“far3oun” (فرعون) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning pharaoh (ruler of Egypt).
Meanings
- pharaoh (ruler of Egypt)
- tyrant, arrogant man
Usage
Far3oun means the Pharaoh, especially the one in religious stories, a figure of pride punished by God. In Tunisia, it is commonly used figuratively to describe an authoritarian leader or an arrogant, tyrannical person: far3oun zmanou, ta3mel fih far3oun. The phrase ki far3oun ("like Pharaoh") is common for denouncing abuse of power. This judgment is harsh and pejorative. The plural fra3na also applies to the rulers of ancient Egypt.
Example
نحبّ نفهم اسرار الكون وموش بن نطغى كي فرعون !!
n7ebb nefhem asrar lkawn wmouch ben natgha ki far3awn !!
“I want to understand the secrets of the universe, not become a tyrant like Pharaoh!”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “far3oun” but also “fer3oun”, “far3awn” and “fir3awn”. 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 “far3oun” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “pharaoh”; “tyrant, arrogant person”: fer3oun in Moroccan.