kelb كلب
Algerian Darja · noun
“kelb” (كلب) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning dog.
Meanings
- dog
- bastard (insult)
Usage
Kelb means "dog". The feminine is kelba and the plural is klab. Used of a person, it is a strong insult aimed at a man seen as vile, treacherous or servile. It is often heard in political criticism. This insulting sense should be avoided except in anger. The dog has a rather negative image in local culture, which strengthens the insult. Do not confuse kelb with qelb, "heart". In some regions the q is pronounced g, but never k, and the confusion comes mainly from Latin-letter spellings.
Example
الجيران عندهم كلب كبير يعسّ الدار
el-jiran 3andhom kelb kbir y3ess ed-dar
“The neighbors have a big dog that guards the house.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “kelb” but also “kalb”, “kaleb”, “klb” and “kelba”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “kelb” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “dog”; “bastard (insult, figurative)”: kelb in Moroccan.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “dog”; “bastard (insult)”: kalb in Tunisian.