msta9el مستاقلّ
Moroccan Darija · adjective
“msta9el” (مستاقلّ) is an adjective in Moroccan Darija meaning independent, self-reliant.
Meanings
- independent, self-reliant
Usage
Msta9ell is used for a person who lives autonomously, especially financially, or who has left the family home: "bghit nkon msta9ell" (I want to be independent). The feminine is msta9lla and the plural is msta9llin. The word comes from standard Arabic but is well integrated into darija, especially among young people. It can also describe a separate entity, such as a self-contained apartment or a self-employed worker.
Example
مازال عاجبني نكون مستاقل صراحة
mazal 3ajbni nkon msta9el Sara7a
“Honestly, I still like being independent.”
Forms
| feminine | msta9ella |
|---|---|
| plural | msta9ellin |
| feminine plural | msta9llat |
Forms as recorded in DODa, in its spelling.
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “msta9el” but also “msta9ll”, “mosta9il”, “mesta9el” and “msta9ell”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.