chouliga شوليقة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“chouliga” (شوليقة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning rag, worn-out cloth.
Meanings
- rag, worn-out cloth
- headscarf (pejorative)
Usage
Chouliga means a worn piece of cloth used for wiping or cleaning, the equivalent of a floor cloth or an old dishcloth. The word is colloquial. By extension, it is used to demean a person who is treated like a worthless object, much like the French "paillasson" (doormat). Applied to a headscarf or veil, it becomes clearly contemptuous. For a garment or accessory it is therefore best avoided if you don't want to sound insulting. For a household cloth, its use is neutral.
Example
هات الشوليقة نمسح الطاولة.
hét ech-chouliga nemsa7 et-tawla.
“Pass me the rag, so I can wipe the table.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chouliga” but also “chouli9a”, “chlika” and “choulika”. 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.