mghatti مغطي
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“mghatti” (مغطي) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning covered, covered over.
Meanings
- covered, covered over
- protected, sheltered
- hidden, concealed
Usage
Mghatti is the participle of the verb ghatta, "to cover". It is used for an object that is covered, mghatti b-, but also for a person well covered against the cold. Figuratively, it means protected or backed by someone: howa mghatti, "he is covered, he has connections". It appears in the proverb "elli mghatti b-mta3 ennes 3ryan": he who lives off other people's property remains naked. The feminine is mghattia. The register is everyday.
Example
خلي الماكلة مغطية باش ما يطيحش عليها الذبان.
5alli el mekla mghattia bech ma yti7ch 3liha edhben.
“Keep the food covered so that flies don't land on it.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mghatti” but also “mghati”, “m8atti”, “mghatty” and “mghaty”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 8 is light ha (ه) or ghayn (غ), depending on the writer.