mor3ib مرعب
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“mor3ib” (مرعب) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning terrifying, frightening.
Meanings
- terrifying, frightening
- formidable (player, opponent)
Usage
Mor3ib is a word of literary origin, but it is well understood and used in Tunisia, especially in writing on social media, in sports commentary, or when talking about a film. In casual speech, people more readily say ykhawwef or "it's scary". The feminine is mor3ba. For a player or a team, the word takes an admiring sense: "formidable", "impressive". For a situation or a plot, it means "frightening" or "distressing". The register is somewhat elevated; in a relaxed conversation it can sound journalistic or emphatic.
Example
الفيلم هذا مرعب برشا، ما رقدتش الليلة الكلّ.
el film hedha mor3ib barcha, ma ra9adtech ellila lkol.
“This film is really terrifying, I didn't sleep all night.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mor3ib” but also “mor3eb”, “mur3ib” and “mro3b”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.