khalti خالتي
Tunisian Derja · noun
“khalti” (خالتي) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning my maternal aunt.
Meanings
- my maternal aunt
- ma'am (to an older woman)
Usage
Khalti is the possessive form of khala, the mother's sister. English uses "aunt" for both sides, but Tounsi distinguishes khalti (maternal side) from 3ammti (paternal side). Ould khalti and bent khalti are used for the male and female cousin on the maternal side. Out of politeness, an older woman with no family tie, such as a neighbour or a saleswoman, is also called khalti. This usage is affectionate and respectful. It is not a set formula: a child uses it spontaneously with his or her mother's friends.
Example
نهار الأحد باش نمشي لدار خالتي.
nhar el a7ad bech nemchi l dar khalti.
“On Sunday, I'm going to my aunt's house.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “khalti” but also “5alti”, “khalty” and “5alty”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.
Type “khalti” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “my maternal aunt”; “auntie (to an older woman)”: khalti in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “my maternal aunt”; “ma'am (respectful address to an older woman)”: khalti in Algerian.