badla بدلة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“badla” (بدلة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning suit (jacket and trousers).
Meanings
- suit (jacket and trousers)
- tracksuit (badla sport)
Usage
Badla refers to a full suit, jacket and trousers, worn for a wedding, an interview or a ceremony. One says lbes badla ("he put on a suit"). In the expression badla sport, the word refers to a tracksuit. Alongside badla, the loanword kostim is very common, especially for a dress suit. The plural is badlet. Do not confuse it with the verb baddel ("to change, to exchange"), from the same root, or with the first name Badla. Many examples found online are Egyptian, but the word is indeed used in Tunisia.
Example
شرى بدلة جديدة للعرس.
chra badla jdida lel 3ers.
“He bought a new suit for the wedding.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “badla” but also “badle” and “badlet”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.