makloub مقلوب
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“makloub” (مقلوب) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning upside down, inside out.
Meanings
- upside down, inside out
- in turmoil, topsy-turvy
- makloub, folded pizza-dough sandwich
Usage
Maqloub is the past participle of qleb, "to turn over, to flip". It is used first in the literal sense: a garment worn inside out, an object placed upside down. The feminine is maqlouba, the plural maqloubin. Figuratively, it describes a situation or place in disarray, or a person who is upset or in a bad mood. In everyday Tunisian speech, makloub also names a very popular street sandwich: pizza dough filled and then folded in half. In this sense, it is a noun. Context almost always makes it clear which use is meant.
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “makloub” but also “maqloub”, “ma9loub” and “mqloub”. 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.