3jel عجل
Tunisian Derja · noun
“3jel” (عجل) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning calf.
Meanings
- calf
- veal
Usage
3jel refers to the young of the cow, and by extension its meat at the butcher's: "l7am 3jel" (veal). The plural is 3joul. The feminine 3jla refers to the heifer. The word is common in the countryside and in town. Do not confuse it with the standard expression "3ala 3ajal" (in haste), which is written the same in Arabic. It is found mostly in the media, whereas in speech people rather say "bel ghasra" or "fissa".
Example
الجزار عندو لحم عجل اليوم.
el jazzar 3andou l7am 3jel lyoum.
“The butcher has veal today.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3jel” but also “3ejel”, “ajel”, “3jal” and “3jeli”. 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.