kachabia قشابة
Algerian Darja · noun
“kachabia” (قشابة) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning long traditional hooded cloak.
Meanings
- long traditional hooded cloak
Usage
The 9echaba, called kachabia in the East and widely known by that name, is a traditional long men's garment, closed at the front and fitted with a hood, woven from wool or camel hair, in brown, beige or black. It is worn in winter, especially in the countryside and on the high plateaus, but it remains a symbol of identity and is also worn on special occasions. It is distinct from the burnous, which is an open, sleeveless cape. Plural: 9chachab. In Algerian French, it is often written "kachabia".
Example
جدّي يلبس القشابة كي يجي البرد.
jeddi yelbes el 9echaba ki yji el berd.
“My grandfather wears the kachabia when the cold comes.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “kachabia” but also “9echaba”, “kachaba”, “9achabia” and “qachabia”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.