k7al كحال
Moroccan Darija · verb
“k7al” (كحال) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning turn black, darken.
Meanings
- turn black, darken
- get very tanned, turn dark
Usage
K7al (imperfect yk7al, kayk7al) means "to become black". It is a stative verb formed on k7el, "black", on the pattern of other colour verbs (byad, "to turn white"). It is used for skin darkened by the sun, often with b chmch or f chmch, and for an object that turns black. The expression kolchi k7al gdami, "everything went dark before me", is said of a sudden faintness or despair. This verb should be distinguished from k7el, the adjective "black", and from k77el, "to apply kohl".
Example
كولشي كحال ڭدامي
kolchi k7al gdami
“Everything went dark before my eyes.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “k7al” but also “k7el”, “kahal” and “k7aal”. 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.