gharbel غربل
Tunisian Derja · verb
“gharbel” (غربل) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to sift, to sieve.
Meanings
- to sift, to sieve
- to sort out, to weed out (people, things)
Usage
Gharbel comes from ghorbal, the sieve. In the literal sense, it is used in cooking to sift semolina or flour. Figuratively, it is very common: sorting through people, ideas or candidates to keep only what is worthwhile. A popular proverb advises to "gharbel w saffi" (sift, then filter) before granting your trust. The action noun is tgharbil, "sorting, screening". It conjugates regularly: ngharbel, gharbelt, ygharblou. Note: Ghorbel is also a common family name.
Example
غربل السميد قبل ما تعجن
gharbel essmid 9bal ma t3ajjen
“Sift the semolina before kneading.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “gharbel” but also “8arbel”, “ghrbel” and “gharbal”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 8 is light ha (ه) or ghayn (غ), depending on the writer.