nfe5 نفاخ
Tunisian Derja · noun
“nfe5” (نفاخ) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning swelling, inflammation.
Meanings
- swelling, inflammation
- bloating
- one who inflates (pejorative)
Usage
Nfé5 refers to a swelling of the body: after a blow, a sting, an operation or a tooth extraction. One says fih chwaya nfé5, "there's a bit of swelling." It also refers to bloating of the belly. With a complement, nfé5 can take on a mocking tone, as in nfé5 ech-chfeyef, "who puffs up their lips." The form nfa55 then denotes one who inflates or boasts. The corresponding verb is nfa5, "to swell, to inflate," or "to blow up" a balloon. The register is everyday and colloquial.
Example
مازال شوية نفاخ في وجهو، حطّلو شوية ثلج.
mazal chwaya nfé5 fi wejhou, 7ottlou chwaya thlej.
“He still has a bit of swelling on his face, put some ice on it.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “nfe5” but also “nfa5”, “nfakh” and “nfé5”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.