rjoulia رجولية
Algerian Darja · noun
“rjoulia” (رجولية) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning manliness, the qualities of a man.
Meanings
- manliness, the qualities of a man
- courage, sense of honour
Usage
The word rjoulia refers to the set of qualities expected of a man: courage, keeping one's word, responsibility, loyalty. It belongs to a moral register rather than a physical one. It is often used to praise or to reproach: fih rjoulia ("he has honour"), ma 3andouch rjoulia ("he has no sense of honour"). The word rejla is a very common near-synonym. The pitfall for an English speaker is to translate it as "virility" in the sexual or physical sense: the word mainly evokes uprightness and reliability.
Example
هادي ماشي رجولية، تخلي صاحبك وحدو.
hadi machi rjoulia, t5alli sa7bek wa7dou.
“This is not manly, leaving your friend on his own.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “rjoulia” but also “rjouliya”, “rjolia” and “rojoulia”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “rjoulia” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “courage, bravery, dignified conduct”; “manliness, qualities seen as manly”: rjouliya in Tunisian.