kafer كافر
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“kafer” (كافر) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning unbeliever, infidel.
Meanings
- unbeliever, infidel
- terrible, extreme (heat, cold…)
Usage
In the religious sense, kafer means someone who does not believe. Hurled at someone, it is a serious accusation, to be used with care. In everyday language, the word is mostly an intensifier for what is harsh or merciless: "el bard kafer", the cold is terrible; "e-ch'hiliya kafra", crushing heat. The feminine is kafra and the plural kofar or kafrin. Context matters: said of a thing, the word is not offensive.
Example
يقولو عليه كافر خاطر ما يصليش
y9olou 3lih kafer khater ma ysallich
“They call him an unbeliever because he doesn't pray.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “kafer” but also “kafir”, “kéfer” and “kefer”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.