kebda كبدة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“kebda” (كبدة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning liver (organ, offal).
Meanings
- liver (organ, offal)
- darling, my child (affectionate)
Usage
Kebda means liver, both the organ and the offal sold at the butcher's: kebda 3allouch (lamb's liver), kebda bagri (beef liver). Grilled liver or liver in sauce is a popular dish, especially during Eid. With a possessive, kebdti or ya kebdti is a very strong term of endearment, used mostly by mothers for their children: the liver plays the role the heart plays in English. The word is common in all registers; the variant kbed is sometimes used as a plural.
Example
شريت كبدة علّوش باش نشويها
chrit kebda 3allouch bech nechwiha
“I bought lamb's liver to grill.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “kebda” but also “kabda”, “kebdaa” and “kibda”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “kebda” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “liver (organ, food)”; “darling, beloved child”: kebda in Moroccan.