lgebla القبلة
Algerian Darja · noun
“lgebla” (القبلة) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning direction of Mecca for prayer.
Meanings
- direction of Mecca for prayer
- prime destination, focal point
Usage
Lgebla first means the direction of Mecca, which one faces to pray. For example, wech men jiha lgebla ? asks which way it is. The pronunciation with g (gebla) is very common in speech. The form with q (qibla) sounds more formal or religious. Figuratively, mainly in media language, the word refers to a highly popular destination. Do not confuse it with lbousa (the kiss), which Standard Arabic writes with the same letters as qibla.
Example
وين راهي القبلة هنا؟
win rahi lgebla hna ?
“Which way is the qibla here?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “lgebla” but also “l9ebla”, “elkebla” and “gebla”. 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.