sella صلّا
Moroccan Darija · verb
“sella” (صلّا) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to perform the ritual prayer.
Meanings
- to perform the ritual prayer
- to invoke blessings (on the Prophet)
Usage
The verb ṣella (or ṣlla) refers to the Muslim ritual prayer. Its imperfect is yṣelli and its imperative is ṣelli. The prayer is often specified with a direct object: ṣella ṣ-ṣbeḥ (dawn prayer), ṣella l-ʿṣer (afternoon prayer). The expression ṣelli ʿla n-nbi literally means "pray upon the Prophet". It is very commonly used to calm someone who is getting worked up, in the sense of "calm down". For a personal prayer or a supplication, dʿa (to invoke) is used rather than ṣella. The corresponding noun is ṣ-ṣlat, "the prayer".
Example
صليتي العصر ولا مازال؟
selliti l3asr wla mazal?
“Did you pray the afternoon prayer or not yet?”
Conjugation
Forms as recorded in DODa and reproduced in its spelling, which often leaves out short vowels.
| Imperfective (present) | Perfective (past) | Imperative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ana (I) | kanSlli | Sllit | |
| nta (you, m.) | katSlli | Slliti | Slli |
| nti (you, f.) | katSlli | Slliti | Slli |
| howa (he) | kaySlli | Slla | |
| hiya (she) | katSlli | Sllaat | |
| 7na (we) | kanSlliw | Sllina | |
| ntouma (you, pl.) | katSlliw | Sllito | Slliw |
| homa (they) | kaySlliw | Sllao |
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sella” but also “slla”, “salla”, “sela” and “9alla”. 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.