mt7ayel متحيل
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“mt7ayel” (متحيل) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning swindler, con artist.
Meanings
- swindler, con artist
- sly, dishonest
Usage
A very common word for someone who deceives others to extract money or an advantage from them. It is used as an adjective (rajel mt7ayel, a dishonest man) or as a noun (hedha mt7ayel, he's a crook). It is related to the verb t7ayel, to swindle, and the noun t7ayil, fraud, which also denotes the offence in the legal sense. The term is pejorative and often serves as a direct accusation, notably about shopkeepers or politicians. It is not vulgar, but it is hurtful if addressed to someone. The feminine is mt7ayla, the plural mt7aylin.
Example
ما تشريش منو، راهو متحيل.
ma tichrich minou, rahou mt7ayel.
“Don't buy from him, he's a crook.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mt7ayel” but also “mta7ayel”, “mt7ayl”, “met7ayel” and “mtahayel”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.