m9all مقل
Tunisian Derja · expression
“m9all” (مقل) is an expression in Tunisian Derja meaning how little… (exclamative).
Meanings
- how little… (exclamative)
- lacking (shame, manners)
Usage
Mgall (or m9all) is an exclamative form expressing lack. It goes before a noun of quality to make a reproach: mgall 7yeh, "how shameless he is, he has no decency", or mgall terbitek, "how badly brought up you are". It contrasts with mkather, "how much there is". This is the case in the phrase mkatherkom w mgall barketkom, "you are so many and you serve so little". The tone is colloquial, often annoyed or mocking. It is not an adjective that agrees: the form stays fixed.
Example
مقل حياه، دخل بلا ما يدق.
m9all 7yeh, d5al bla ma ydo99.
“What a nerve, he walked in without knocking.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “m9all” but also “mgall”, “m9al”, “mgal” and “mqal”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.