ta3an طعن
Tunisian Derja · verb
“ta3an” (طعن) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to stab, to knife.
Meanings
- to stab, to knife
- to betray, to backstab
- to appeal, to challenge (legal)
Usage
Ta3an (imperfect yat3an) primarily means to strike with a blade: ta3nou b sekkina, "they stabbed him with a knife." Figuratively, it is used for betrayal or a low blow, like the English "stab in the back." The register is neutral; the literal sense is common in crime news. The legal sense of "to challenge" or "to appeal" (ta3an fel 7okm) comes from standard Arabic and is mostly found in media and administrative vocabulary.
Example
طعنوه بسكّينة في الشارع
ta3nouh b sekkina fel chera3
“They stabbed him with a knife in the street.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ta3an” but also “ta3en”, “taan”, “ta3nou” and “t3an”. 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.