wldi ولدي
Moroccan Darija · noun
“wldi” (ولدي) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning my son.
Meanings
- my son
- my boy (affectionate address)
Usage
Possessed form of weld (son, boy) with the suffix -i (my). Literally, it means "my son". It is also a very common way for an adult to address a child or a young man, even with no family tie: a wldi, "my boy", "son". The tone is kindly, sometimes paternalistic or slightly ironic. A mother may say a wldi to her daughter out of affection. Note: weldi without the possessive sense refers back to weld, and the plural is wladi (my children). In a respectful register, one also hears a wliidi, as a diminutive.
Example
سميت ولدي سعد
smit weldi saad
“I named my son Saad.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “wldi” but also “weldi”, “waldi” and “wlidi”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “wldi” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “my son”; “my boy, son (affectionate)”: waldi in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “my son”; “my boy (affectionate address)”: weldi in Tunisian.