wld khali ولد خالي
Moroccan Darija · expression
“wld khali” (ولد خالي) is an expression in Moroccan Darija meaning my cousin (maternal uncle's son).
Meanings
- my cousin (maternal uncle's son)
Usage
Wld khali means the son of the mother's brother (khali "my maternal uncle"). Darija systematically distinguishes the four types of cousins by branch, which has no direct equivalent in English: in translation it is therefore sometimes necessary to specify "cousin on the mother's side". The feminine is bent khali, the plural wlad khali. The possessive agrees with the person being talked about: wld khalek "your cousin", wld khalha "her cousin". Not to be confused with wld khalti, which refers to the maternal aunt.
Example
غادي نمشي للعرس ديال ولد خالي
ghadi nmchi l l3ers dyal wld khali
“I'm going to my cousin's (my maternal uncle's son) wedding.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “wld khali” but also “wld 5ali”, “weld khali” and “ould khali”. 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.
Type “wld khali” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “my cousin (maternal uncle's son)”: weld khali in Tunisian.