mefte7 مفتاح
Tunisian Derja · noun
“mefte7” (مفتاح) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning key (door, car).
Meanings
- key (door, car)
- key, solution to a problem
- key (map legend)
Usage
Mefte7 first refers to the object that opens a lock: mefte7 ed-dar (the house key), mefte7 el karhba (the car key). The usual plural is mfeti7. Figuratively, as in English, it is what gives access to a solution: mefte7 el mochkla. In a more technical or school register, the word is also used for a map legend. For a bunch of keys, people often say tebe3 mfeti7. Mind the pronunciation: the final h is a strong 7 (ḥ), distinct from a soft h. Latin spellings vary a lot online.
Example
نسيت المفتاح متاع الدار في الكرهبة.
nsit el mefte7 mta3 eddar fil karhba.
“I forgot the house key in the car.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mefte7” but also “mafta7”, “meftah”, “mifta7” and “moftah”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.