mberga3 مبرقع
Algerian Darja · adjective
“mberga3” (مبرقع) is an adjective in Algerian Darja meaning multicolored, mottled.
Meanings
- multicolored, mottled
- clashing (colors)
Usage
Mberga3 describes something with mixed colors, spots or mismatched patterns. It is used for a spotted animal, a fabric or an outfit. The word is mainly reported in western Algeria. It can be neutral and purely descriptive, or slightly mocking when it refers to clothes whose colors do not go together. The feminine is mberg3a. The closest English nuances are "motley" or "variegated". The word has no connection with the burqa, despite the similar form.
Example
القط تاعهم مبرقع بالكحل والبيض.
el qett ta3hom mberga3 bel ke7el w el byed.
“Their cat is mottled black and white.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mberga3” but also “mebarga3”, “mbarga3” and “mberge3”. 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.