lkhell لخلّ
Moroccan Darija · noun
“lkhell” (لخلّ) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning vinegar.
Meanings
- vinegar
Usage
Lkhell is the common word for vinegar, in cooking as well as in household products. It is masculine and is most often used with the article: zid chwiya d lkhell "add a little vinegar". It is found in salads, marinades, pickled vegetables and the preparation of certain dishes. It should not be confused with khell, a verb meaning "to leave" in some regions, nor with the classical word for "close friend", which is not commonly used in darija.
Example
عادة غايتغلاو ويتحطّو معا لخلّ
3aadatan ghaytghlaw wit7eTTo m3a lkhell
“Traditionally, they are boiled and served with vinegar.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “lkhell” but also “l5ell” and “lkhel”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.