9la قلى
Tunisian Derja · verb
“9la” (قلى) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to fry.
Meanings
- to fry
- to roast (seeds)
Usage
The verb 9la is the everyday word for frying food: bricks, fish, potatoes, eggs. In the present tense it is ye9li, and the imperative is a9li. The passive form yet9la means "to be frying." It is also used for roasting seeds or nuts. The participle ma9li means "fried." Writing pitfall: online, the spelling قلى is sometimes used to write 9alli, "he told me." Only context distinguishes the two.
Example
كمّل كعيباتك الكلّ وبعد اقليه
kamil k3ibetik elkoll wba3d a9lih
“Finish shaping all your little pieces, then fry them.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9la” but also “gla”, “a9li”, “ye9li” and “qla”. 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.