bta3la بتعلة
Tunisian Derja · preposition
“bta3la” (بتعلة) is a preposition in Tunisian Derja meaning on the pretext of, citing.
Meanings
- on the pretext of, citing
Usage
Bta3la is a very common expression in Tunisia, in speech as well as in the press and on social media. It introduces the reason someone puts forward to justify a refusal or a behaviour, often with a hint of doubt: the reason given is judged poor or false. It is built with a noun (bta3let el-corona) or with elli followed by a clause (bta3la elli...). The best translation is "on the pretext that / of". It is not a neutral, simple "because", which is 5ater.
Example
ما حبش يجي بتعلة اللي هو مريض.
ma 7abbech yji bta3la elli houwa mridh.
“He didn't want to come, on the pretext that he is sick.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “bta3la” but also “bta3let”, “bet3ila” and “bita3la”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.