n9ilab نقيلاب
Moroccan Darija · noun
“n9ilab” (نقيلاب) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning coup d'état.
Meanings
- coup d'état
- sudden reversal
Usage
The word n9ilab (or in9ilab) comes from the learned language. It is used mainly when talking about politics or current events, to mean a coup d'état: dar n9ilab, "he staged a coup". It belongs to a fairly formal register and is often heard in TV news and political discussions. Figuratively, it can mean a sudden reversal in a situation. For a physical overturning, such as a car flipping over, the verb t9leb or tqleb is used instead.
Example
وقع نقيلاب فداك البلاد
w9e3 n9ilab f dak lblad
“There was a coup d'état in that country.”
Forms
| plural | n9ilabat |
|---|
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 “n9ilab” but also “in9ilab”, “nqilab”, “inqilab” and “en9ilab”. 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.