kotla كتلة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“kotla” (كتلة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning parliamentary bloc, political group.
Meanings
- parliamentary bloc, political group
- mass, compact block
Usage
Kotla is used mainly in political vocabulary, borrowed from standard Arabic. Kotla niyabiya refers to a parliamentary group in the Assembly. The word comes up constantly in television debates and on social media. It is also used for a united bloc or alliance, as in kotla mowa7da, "a united bloc". In its concrete sense, it refers to a compact mass, for example a block of ice or a clump of material. The register is neutral, rather journalistic. The plural is ktel.
Example
الكتلة هاذي عندها برشا نواب في المجلس.
el kotla hedhi 3andha barcha nouweb fel mejles.
“This bloc has many deputies in the Assembly.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “kotla” but also “kutla”, “ketla” and “kotlaa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.