When it comes to wordplay and making foreign words sound Arabic, the Lebanese take home the cup.
This might be the aftermath of the bilingual and trilingual Lebanese educational system, by which children are taught in either English or French as a primary language, as well as Arabic and the remaining language as a secondary one.
Today, you can slip in French and English words very casually into a Lebanese conversation and no one would even notice. This has even gone to an extent that certain worlds have become Arabized.
Dapraset
Dapraset comes from the word depressed, and means I became depressed.
– “Dapraset after watching Titanic, it was very emotional.”
Sayavet
From the English word “save” comes “sayavet”, meaning to save something electronically.
– “Sayavet yesterday’s homework.”
Angaret
Emerging from the English word “angry” comes “angaret”, to get angry.
– “Angaret with me” (my mood got angry).
Bonjouren
This is most Lebanese word ever. The French “bon jour” means “good day”, but since Lebanese people like to double of on things, “bonjouren” literally translate into two bon jour, or “two good day”.
– “Bon jour Farid, bonjouren Tarek.”
Darkision
From the French word “direction”, which means, well, direction, comes “darkision”. Darkision is the steering wheel on a car – logically.
– “Put both hands on the darkision while driving.”
