kouverta كوفيرطا
Algerian Darja · noun
“kouverta” (كوفيرطا) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning blanket (for a bed).
Meanings
- blanket (for a bed)
Usage
Kouverta is the everyday word for a bed blanket, thick and warm, made of wool or synthetic material. It is a well-integrated loanword in Algerian Arabic, used everywhere in daily life. The most frequent plural is kouvertat. It is distinct from "mlaya" or "ezar", which refer to lighter fabrics, and from "bettaniya", which is more standard. It must not be used for the cover of a book or magazine. It is often heard in winter: "jib kouverta, rani bardana" (bring a blanket, I'm cold).
Example
جيب الكوفيرطا راني بردان
jib el kouverta rani berdan
“Bring the blanket, I'm cold.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “kouverta” but also “couverta”, “kouvirta”, “covirta”, “kouferta” and “covir6a”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 6 is emphatic ta (ط).