sebil سبيل
Tunisian Derja · noun
“sebil” (سبيل) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning way, path (figurative).
Meanings
- way, path (figurative)
- for, for the sake of (fi sebil)
Usage
The word sebil is used mainly in the phrase fi sebil, "for, in the name of, in the interest of": fi sebil el watan (for the homeland), fi sebil wlèdou (for his children). It also appears in the learned phrase 3la sebil el mithèl, "for example", borrowed from standard Arabic but common in educated speech and in the media. The register is rather formal or solemn: it is found in speeches, and in political or religious commentary. On its own, in the concrete sense of "road", it is rare: one says tri9 or thniya instead.
Example
كلّ شي مسموح في سبيل كورسي رئاسة ,
koul chey mesmou7 fi sebil koursi ri2èsè ,
“Everything is allowed for the presidential seat.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sebil” but also “sbil” and “sabil”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.