dagla دقلة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“dagla” (دقلة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning deglet nour dates.
Meanings
- deglet nour dates
- dates (in general)
Usage
Dagla primarily refers to the deglet nour variety, the fine, translucent date of the Djérid and Kébili, considered the best. By extension, the word is often used for quality dates in general. It is used as a collective ("chrit dagla", I bought dates); for a single fruit, one says "ḥabba dagla". The affectionate greeting "sbeḥek dagla w ḥlib" (good morning, dates and milk) evokes sweetness and abundance. Dates are also essential for breaking the fast during Ramadan.
Example
جبتلك كيلو دقلة من توزر.
jebtlek kilo dagla men tozeur.
“I brought you a kilo of dates from Tozeur.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “dagla” but also “degla”, “da9la”, “deglet” and “dag9la”. 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.
Type “dagla” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “deglet nour date variety”; “fresh date, date in general”: deglet in Algerian.