3yalat عيالات
Moroccan Darija · noun
“3yalat” (عيالات) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning women.
Meanings
- women
Usage
3yalat is the common plural of mra, "woman". The singular 3yala exists but is heard less often, and nsa is more formal or literary. It is used for women in general or a group of women: l3yalat dyal l7ouma, "the women of the neighbourhood". The register is informal and neutral. Depending on tone, the word can take on a collective, even slightly condescending shade, for example in hdra dyal l3yalat, "old wives' tales".
Example
واش كاينين شي عيالات ضايرين بيك لي صعيب عليك التعامل معاهوم?
wach kaynin chi 3yalat dayrin bik lli S3ib 3lik tt3aml m3ahom?
“Are there any women around you that you find hard to deal with?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3yalat” but also “3ialat”, “3iyalat” and “3yalate”. 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.