khalti خالتي
Algerian Darja · noun
“khalti” (خالتي) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning my maternal aunt.
Meanings
- my maternal aunt
- ma'am (respectful address to an older woman)
Usage
Khalti is "khala" (the mother's sister) followed by the possessive "-i". It must be distinguished from "3amti", the father's sister: English says "aunt" in both cases, but darja always makes the distinction. The children of a maternal aunt are "wlid khalti" (cousin, male) and "bent khalti" (cousin, female). Khalti is also used to politely address an older woman you do not know, at the market or in the street, much like "ma'am". This usage is affectionate and respectful.
Example
رايحين نتعشاو عند خالتي
ray7in nt3achaw 3and khalti
“We're going to have dinner at my aunt's.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “khalti” but also “5alti”, “khalty” and “5alty”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.
Type “khalti” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “my maternal aunt”; “auntie (to an older woman)”: khalti in Moroccan.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “my maternal aunt”; “ma'am (to an older woman)”: khalti in Tunisian.