rifi ريفي
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“rifi” (ريفي) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning rural, of the countryside.
Meanings
- rural, of the countryside
- country person
Usage
Rifi describes whatever belongs to the countryside as opposed to the city (hdhar, "city dweller"). It is used for places (mantqa rifia, "rural area"), ways of life or people (chabeb rifi, "rural youth"). The feminine is rifia, the plural rifiyin. The word comes from common Arabic and is heard in the media as well as in conversation. Depending on the tone, when applied to a person it can slide toward the sense of "peasant" or "unrefined", and become mocking. Context and intent therefore matter a lot. For a neutral tone, say mel rif, "from the countryside", instead.
Example
هو ولد ريفي، كبر في الفلاحة
howa weld rifi, kber fel fle7a
“He's a country boy, he grew up in farming.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “rifi” but also “riifi” and “reefi”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.