lotf لطف
Tunisian Derja · noun
“lotf” (لطف) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning grace, God's benevolent protection.
Meanings
- grace, God's benevolent protection
- kindness, a person's friendliness
- gentleness, delicacy
Usage
Lotf first means God's protective benevolence. It appears mainly in set phrases: "lotf ya rabbi" or "ya lotf!" express fright, shock or worry at bad news, a bit like "my God!". The related verb is used to ask for divine protection: "allah yoltef bina", "may God protect us". For a person, "hedha lotf mennek" means "that's kind of you", a polite, somewhat formal turn of phrase. The word is rare for simply describing someone as kind, where other adjectives are preferred. Pitfall: "ya lotf" is not a compliment, it is an exclamation of shock.
Example
لطف يا ربّي
Lotf ya rabi
“Mercy, my God!”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “lotf” but also “lutf”, “lotof” and “lotff”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.