kalatous كلتوس
Tunisian Derja · noun
“kalatous” (كلتوس) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning eucalyptus tree.
Meanings
- eucalyptus tree
- eucalyptus leaves (remedy)
Usage
Kaltous, also pronounced kalatous or kalitous, refers to the eucalyptus. The tree is very common along roads and in the Tunisian countryside. The word is also used for the leaves used as a folk remedy: in winter, people boil kaltous to inhale the steam against colds or coughs. Pronunciation varies by region and speaker. It is a local adaptation of the scholarly word, well integrated into everyday language.
Example
في الشتاء نغليو الكلتوس ونتبخرو بيه.
fi echta nghaliw el kaltous w netbakhrou bih.
“In winter, we boil eucalyptus and inhale the steam.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “kalatous” but also “kaltous”, “kalitous” and “kalatouss”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.