khawef خواف
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“khawef” (خواف) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning fearful, timid.
Meanings
- fearful, timid
- cowardly
Usage
Khawwaf describes a person who is easily frightened. It is an intensive form built on khaf, "to be afraid". The feminine is khawwafa and the plural is khawwafa or khawwafin. It is also used as a noun: howa khawwaf, "he's a scaredy-cat". The tone can be affectionate, for a child afraid of the dark, or clearly mocking, for an adult who doesn't dare act, and it then comes close to "coward". The register is common and informal. Note the doubled w, which is often not visible in arabizi spelling.
Example
ولدي خواف برشا، ما يرقدش وحدو.
wildi khawwaf barcha, ma yorgodch wa7dou.
“My son is very fearful, he doesn't sleep alone.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “khawef” but also “5awef”, “khawaf”, “5awaf” and “khawwaf”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.