khasla خصلة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“khasla” (خصلة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning character trait, quality.
Meanings
- character trait, quality
- habit, quirk
- lock of hair
Usage
Khasla refers to a character trait or a person's way of being. The word is often positive ("khasla mliha", a fine quality), but it can also apply to a flaw or an annoying habit. The plural khsal is common: "3andou khsal", "he has his quirks". It is used to judge a person's behavior, for better or worse. The sense of "lock of hair" comes from literary Arabic and is mostly found in writing. Be careful not to confuse this word with khasla, "the dishes", which does not exist in derja.
Example
الصبر خصلة باهية فيه
essbar khasla behya fih
“Patience is a fine quality of his.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “khasla” but also “5asla”, “khesla” and “5esla”. 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.