msalli مصلي
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“msalli” (مصلي) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning who prays, observant.
Meanings
- who prays, observant
- who blesses the Prophet (formula)
Usage
Msalli means a person who prays regularly; it is a participle used as an adjective or as a noun. It is often said to describe someone's piety, with a nuance of praise: "houwa msalli w ysoum" (he prays and he fasts). The feminine is msallia, the plural msalliin. It is also found in the formula "msalli 3la nnbi", said to express admiration or to ward off the evil eye. The closest English equivalent is "observant" or "practising".
Example
ولدها مصلي وما يفلتش حتى فرض.
weldha msalli w ma yfaltech 7atta fardh.
“Her son is observant, he doesn't miss a single obligatory prayer.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “msalli” but also “mosalli”, “msali”, “msalle” and “m9alli”. 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.