dawla دولة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“dawla” (دولة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning state, public authority.
Meanings
- state, public authority
- country
Usage
Dawla mainly means the State as an institution: the administration, the government, the authorities. With the article, ed-dawla often refers to "the State" in the sense of those who decide and pay: "ed-dawla ma3maltech 7aja" (the State has done nothing). The sense of "country" exists, but to speak of a country in the geographical sense people more readily say blad. More formal phrases borrowed from Standard Arabic are also found, such as "rajel dawla" (statesman), especially in the media and political speech.
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “dawla” but also “dewla”, “daoula” and “dowla”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “dawla” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “state, government”; “country”: dawla in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “state, public authorities”; “country, nation”: dawla in Algerian.