sle3 صلع
Moroccan Darija · adjective
“sle3” (صلع) is an adjective in Moroccan Darija meaning bald.
Meanings
- bald
Usage
The adjective ṣleʿ follows the same pattern as adjectives of physical particularity such as ʿwer (one-eyed) or ṭreš (deaf). Its feminine is ṣelʿa and its plural is ṣelʿin. People commonly say wella ṣleʿ, "he went bald". The noun ṣ-ṣlaʿ means baldness. Said to someone's face, the word can be used to tease, even to mock, but it remains descriptive and is not an insult. Pitfall: ṣelʿa, in the feminine, can also refer to a bare patch on the scalp, depending on the context.
Example
خويا ولّى صلع وهو باقي صغير.
khouya wella sle3 w howa ba9i sghir.
“My brother went bald while he was still young.”
Forms
| feminine | Sl3a |
|---|---|
| plural | Sl3in |
| feminine plural | Sl3at |
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 “sle3” but also “sla3”, “sl3”, “sle3a” and “sela3”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.