mohla مهلة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“mohla” (مهلة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning deadline, time allowed.
Meanings
- deadline, time allowed
- respite
Usage
Mohla refers to a deadline or time for reflection given to someone. The word is used with a3ta, "to give", or khalla, "to let": a3tih mohla jom3a, "give him a week's deadline". It comes up in everyday life, when asking for time to pay or to decide, and in administrative or political language, with the phrase ta7did mohla, "to set a deadline". The word is shared with standard Arabic, but it is perfectly common in derja.
Example
نحبّك ذكي و نخلّي لك مهلة للتفكير ,
n7ébbik dhki ou n5allilik mohla littefkir ......
“I want you smart, and I'm giving you time to think.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mohla” but also “mohlaa”, “muhla” and “mehla”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.