iblis ابليس
Tunisian Derja · noun
“iblis” (ابليس) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning the devil, Satan.
Meanings
- the devil, Satan
- mischievous person, imp
Usage
Iblis is the devil of Muslim tradition, the one who whispers bad thoughts. In derja, people readily say wiswisli iblis ("the devil whispered the idea to me") to excuse, often humorously, a temptation they gave in to. The word is also used for a mischievous child or a cunning person: hedha iblis, "he's a real demon". It appears in set phrases such as a3oudhou billeh mel iblis. Iblis is more common than chitan in these figurative expressions, but both words refer to the same figure.
Example
كنت باش نقرا، وسوسلي ابليس ومشيت نلعب.
kont bech na9ra, wiswisli iblis w mchit nal3ab.
“I was going to study, but the devil tempted me and I went off to play.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “iblis” but also “eblis”, “ibliss” and “ebliss”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.