makla ماكلة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“makla” (ماكلة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning food.
Meanings
- food
- meal, cooked dish
- cuisine (of a region, a person)
Usage
Makla (often pronounced mekla) is the usual word for food in general and for what one eats at a meal. It covers both food as a substance (makla fiha el 7did, "food rich in iron") and a prepared dish (makla tounsiya, "Tunisian cuisine"). It is neutral and used in all contexts, from home to restaurant. In the family you often hear el makla 7adhra, "the meal is ready". The word is derived from the verb kla, "to eat".
Example
يمّا، الماكلة حاضرة؟ راني جيعان برشة.
yemma, el mekla 7adhra? rani ji3an barcha.
“Mum, is the meal ready? I'm very hungry.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “makla” but also “mekla”, “mékla” and “mekle”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “makla” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “food, foodstuffs”; “meal”: makla in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “food”; “meal, prepared dish”: makla in Algerian.