lella للا
Tunisian Derja · noun
“lella” (للا) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning madam (respectful title).
Meanings
- madam (respectful title)
- lady, mistress of the house
Usage
Lella is a title of respect given to a woman. It is placed before the first name, as in lella Fatma, or used alone to address her: ya lella. It is the feminine equivalent of si before a man's first name. The tone is polite, sometimes affectionate, or slightly old-fashioned when addressing an elderly woman. It is also found in the names of female saints and of places. Pitfall: do not translate it as "miss": lella says nothing about the woman's age or marital status.
Example
للا فاطمة جات تسأل عليك
lella fatma jet tes2el 3lik
“Madam Fatma came to ask about you.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “lella” but also “lalla”, “lela” and “la”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.