dawla دولة
Moroccan Darija · noun
“dawla” (دولة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning state, government.
Meanings
- state, government
- country
- authorities, administration
Usage
Dawla first means the State as an institution: the one that governs, pays, helps or represses. In conversation it is often used with the article (ddawla) to mean the authorities in general, much like "the state" or "the government" in casual English: "ddawla khassha t3awen", "ddawla ma darat walou". The sense of "country" also exists, especially when comparing nations. To speak simply of one's home country, blad is more usual. The common plural is douwal. The register is neutral; the word is frequent in political and social discussions.
Example
خاص دولة تعاون
khas dawla t3awan
“The state must help.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “dawla” but also “dowla”, “doula”, “dola” and “ddawla”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “dawla” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “state, public authorities”; “country, nation”: dawla in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “state, public authority”; “country”: dawla in Tunisian.