mtghareb متغرب
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“mtghareb” (متغرب) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning expatriate, living far from home.
Meanings
- expatriate, living far from home
- isolated, homesick
Usage
Mtghareb describes someone living far from home, abroad or in another city, often for work or studies. The word carries a strong emotional nuance of loneliness, nostalgia and separation from family. One readily says rani mtghareb, "I am far from home". The feminine is mtgharba and the plural mtghorbin. The word is very common in diaspora vocabulary, alongside ghorba, "exile". It does not mean "westernized", although standard Arabic has that sense.
Example
راني متغرب في فرنسا وتوحشت أمي.
rani mtghareb fi fransa w twa7acht ommi.
“I'm living far from home in France and I miss my mother.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mtghareb” but also “metghareb”, “mitghareb” and “mtgharib”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.