bla بلاء

Tunisian Derja · noun

“bla” (بلاء) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning misfortune, calamity.

Meanings

1. misfortune, calamity
2. affliction sent by God
3. scourge, nuisance

Usage

Bla refers to a misfortune that strikes a person or a community: illness, disaster, hardship. It appears mainly in religious formulas of protection such as "rabbi yo7mina mel bla", "may God protect us from misfortune", often paired with "bla w dé" (misfortune and illness). One also says of an annoying person or an unmanageable situation "hédha bla", "it's a scourge". Beware of the homonym "bla", "without" (bla flous, "without money"): only context distinguishes them. The register is everyday, often with a religious colouring.

Example

How to write it in Latin letters

In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “bla” but also “bala”, “blé” and “bela”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.

Type “bla” on the Arabic keyboard