lak7el الاكحل
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“lak7el” (الاكحل) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning the black one, black.
Meanings
- the black one, black
- evil, the dark side (figurative)
Usage
Lak7el is the form of ak7el with the article, the common Tunisian adjective for "black". The feminine is k7la and the plural is k7ol. It is used for clothes, objects or the colour itself (fel ak7el, "in black"). Black pepper is felfel ak7el. Figuratively, it can refer to what is bad or malevolent. Note: the standard word aswad is understood but rarely used in conversation. Ak7el can also, informally, describe a dark-skinned person, and this use is sometimes considered hurtful.
Example
شريت الكبّوط الاكحل
chrit el kabbout lak7el
“I bought the black coat.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “lak7el” but also “lek7el” and “ak7el”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.