asl اصل
Tunisian Derja · noun
“asl” (اصل) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning origin (geographic, family).
Meanings
- origin (geographic, family)
- original (as opposed to a copy)
- good upbringing, decency
Usage
Asl first refers to a person's origin: asli min Sfax (I come from Sfax), aslou mnin? (where is he from?). It also describes an authentic, non-counterfeit object: nos5a asl (an original copy). In moral terms, a decent person is said to have el asl, and an ungrateful person is called 9lil asl (ill-bred, with no manners). In the expression men aslou, it means "at all, from the start": ma mchitech men aslou (I didn't go at all).
Example
اصلي من صفاقس و عندي تو عام ماللي روّحت الى تونس
asli min sfax w 3andi taw 3am milli rawahat il tounis
“I'm originally from Sfax, and it's now been a year since I came to Tunis.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “asl” but also “asel”, “assl”, “asli” and “aslou”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.