wld khalti ولد خالتي
Moroccan Darija · expression
“wld khalti” (ولد خالتي) is an expression in Moroccan Darija meaning my cousin (maternal aunt's son).
Meanings
- my cousin (maternal aunt's son)
Usage
Wld khalti specifically means the son of the mother's sister (khalti "my maternal aunt"). Where English simply says "cousin", darija always specifies the branch of the family: wld 3mmi, wld 3mmti, wld khali, wld khalti. The feminine is bent khalti "my cousin", and the plural is wlad khalti. The possessive applies to the aunt: wld khaltek "your cousin", wld khaltu "his cousin". In practice, these terms also convey family closeness, and the maternal side is often seen as emotionally very close.
Example
ولد خالتي ساكن ف كازا
wld khalti saken f casa
“My cousin (my maternal aunt's son) lives in Casablanca.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “wld khalti” but also “wld 5alti”, “weld khalti” and “ould khalti”. 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 khalti” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “my maternal cousin (aunt's son)”: weld khalti in Tunisian.