rtila رتيلا
Algerian Darja · noun
“rtila” (رتيلا) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning spider.
Meanings
- spider
Usage
The word rtila is the common name for a spider in Algerian Arabic. It is used for all spiders, from small household spiders to the biggest ones, and not only for the tarantula, contrary to what the similarity of the words might suggest. The register is neutral and everyday. It appears in expressions like bit rtila ("cobweb"), used for poorly kept corners of a house. The most frequent plural is rtilat. Do not confuse it with 3enkboute, the standard Arabic form, which is rarer in speech.
Example
كاين رتيلا كبيرة في الحيط.
kayen rtila kbira fel 7it.
“There's a big spider on the wall.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “rtila” but also “rteela”, “rtilla” and “rtela”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.