l3alem لعالم
Algerian Darja · noun
“l3alem” (لعالم) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning the world, the whole Earth.
Meanings
- the world, the whole Earth
- people, everyone
Usage
L3alem is the spoken form of "the world", with the article reduced to l- before the noun. It is used in superlatives, for example "the best in the world" (lekhir f l3alem), or to talk about the entire universe (l3alem kamel). In some contexts, it can refer to people in general, somewhat like "everyone". In online writing, the joined spelling لعالم is often found instead of العالم. Do not confuse it with 3alem, without the article, which means "scholar" or "one who knows". The register is neutral.
Example
ما كاين حتى بلاد كيما بلادنا فلعالم
ma kayen hata blad kima bladna fel 3alem
“There is no country like ours in the whole world.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “l3alem” but also “el3alem”, “l3alam” and “la3lem”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.
Type “l3alem” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “world, the whole earth”; “people, everyone”: l3alam in Moroccan.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “the world”; “people, everyone”: l3alem in Tunisian.