yka7al يكحل
Algerian Darja · verb
“yka7al” (يكحل) is a verb in Algerian Darja meaning to ogle, eye enviously.
Meanings
- to ogle, eye enviously
- to covet from afar
- to apply kohl to the eyes
Usage
Yka7al (imperfect form, "he ogles") is used colloquially for someone who stares insistently at a person or thing he desires without daring to approach it or without being able to get it. The usual construction is with 3la: yka7al 3la… ("he's eyeing…"). The tone is often mocking or disapproving, especially when it is about lingering looks at women. The literal sense, related to kohl (applying kohl to the eyes), also exists and can cause confusion: context decides. The register is colloquial, common in conversation and on social media.
Example
شوفو راه يكحل على الطوموبيل تاع جارو
chouf rah yka7al 3la tomobil ta3 jarou
“Look at him, he's eyeing his neighbor's car.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, it is written “yka7al”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.