rtal رطل
Tunisian Derja · noun
“rtal” (رطل) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning pound (traditional unit of weight).
Meanings
- pound (traditional unit of weight)
Usage
The rtal is a traditional unit of weight, still heard among merchants and in markets. It is used mostly in nos rtal ("half a pound") or rtal lham ("a pound of meat"). In modern usage, the kilo and the gram dominate. Rtal is also used to translate the Anglo-Saxon pound, for example when talking about body weight. Pitfall: the value of the traditional rtal does not necessarily match that of the English pound. When in doubt, it is better to specify in kilos.
Example
اعطيني نص رطل زيتون.
a3tini nos rtal zitoun.
“Give me half a pound of olives.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “rtal” but also “ratl” and “rotl”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.