9alba قلبة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“9alba” (قلبة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning turnaround, sudden change.
Meanings
- turnaround, sudden change
- a turn, a flip
Usage
9alba is the action noun of 9leb, "to turn over". It is used for a sudden change of attitude or situation: one speaks of someone's 9alba when they change their mind or switch sides. In a concrete sense, the word refers to a single flip, for example of a flatbread in the pan. The expression "9alba b9alba" means "each in turn" or "taking turns". Pitfall: the same Arabic spelling can also represent the verb 9albet, "she turned over". In that case, only context can decide.
Example
ما فهمتش القلبة متاعو، البارح كان معانا واليوم ضدنا.
ma fhemtech el9alba mte3ou, lbere7 ken m3ana w lyoum dhedna.
“I didn't understand his turnaround: yesterday he was with us, today he's against us.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9alba” but also “qalba”, “kalba” and “9albaa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.