wilayat ولايات
Algerian Darja · noun
“wilayat” (ولايات) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning wilayas, administrative provinces.
Meanings
- wilayas, administrative provinces
Usage
Wilayat is the plural of wilaya, the main administrative division of Algeria. The word wilaya has passed unchanged into Algerian French. It is used constantly to place someone: "men ay wilaya ?" (which wilaya are you from?), or to talk about the country as a whole: "men ga3 el wilayat" (from all the wilayas). Wilayas are often referred to by their serial number, for example "16" for Algiers. In the singular, the word also refers to the administrative seat of the wilaya. This meaning should not be confused with "city": a wilaya groups together several communes.
Example
جاو ناس من كامل الولايات
jaw nas men kamel el wilayat
“People came from all the wilayas.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “wilayat” but also “wlayat”, “wilyat” and “wilayet”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.