talifoun تاليفون
Tunisian Derja · noun
“talifoun” (تاليفون) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning telephone.
Meanings
- telephone
- phone call
Usage
Talifoun is the usual word for the telephone, landline or mobile, but "portable" is also used for the mobile. The most frequent expression is a3mel talifoun, "to make a phone call": a3melli talifoun, "call me". One also says jéni talifoun, "I got a call", and 3al talifoun or fil talifoun for "on the phone". The word is colloquial and used in all circles. Note that the word means both the object and the call itself. The corresponding verb remains a3mel talifoun rather than a derived verb.
Example
اعملي تاليفون كي توصل
a3melli talifoun ki tousel
“Give me a call when you arrive.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “talifoun” but also “telifoun”, “tilifoun”, “talifoune” and “télifoun”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.