asil اصيل
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“asil” (اصيل) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning authentic, genuine.
Meanings
- authentic, genuine
- of good family, noble-natured
- thoroughbred (horse)
Usage
Asil describes what is true, original and unmixed: a person of good family, a loyal character, a preserved tradition. It is heard in "tounsi asil" (a true-blue Tunisian) or "bent asil" (a girl from a good family), most often as strong praise. It is also used of a purebred horse. The feminine is asila. The register is everyday, with an appreciative, sometimes solemn or patriotic nuance. Note: the standard Arabic sense "late afternoon" is not used in derja.
Example
هاذا راجل أصيل، عمرو ما يخذلك.
hedha rajel asil, 3omrou ma yokhdhlek.
“He's a man of honor, he'll never let you down.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “asil” but also “assil”, “a9il”, “asiil” and “aseel”. 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.