7ila حيلة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“7ila” (حيلة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning ruse, trick.
Meanings
- ruse, trick
- means, resource
Usage
7ila means a ruse or a trick: "3mal 7ila" ("he used a trick"). The plural is 7iyal. The word is also used for the means one has at one's disposal. "Ma 3andich 7ila" or "ma fi yeddi 7ila" mean "there is nothing I can do". "9lil el 7ila" describes a person who is helpless or powerless, often said with compassion. The register is neutral and common. Depending on context, 7ila can be pejorative (a dubious maneuver) or simply mean a clever solution.
Example
وقت اللي ثمّة عذر ماللي قلتهم ما نحكيوش وقتها على حيلة
wa9telli thama 3odhr melli 9olthom mana7kiwch wa9tha 3la 7ila
“When one of the excuses I mentioned applies, we don't talk about a ruse in that case.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7ila” but also “hila”, “7iila” and “7yla”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.