wa9telli وقتلي
Tunisian Derja · conjunction
“wa9telli” (وقتلي) is a conjunction in Tunisian Derja meaning when, whenever.
Meanings
- when, whenever
- at the moment when
Usage
Waqtelli is the common Tunisian temporal conjunction used to introduce a subordinate clause: "when". It is formed from waqt ("moment") and elli ("that"). It is used for a past event, with the perfect, as well as for a future one, with the imperfect: waqtelli nousel nkallmek, "when I arrive, I call you". It is not an interrogative word. To ask "when?", say waqtech or imta. In writing, the spelling varies between one word and two words (waqt elli). The variant wa9tli is also found.
Example
وقتلي نوصل للدار نكلمك
wa9telli nousel leddar nkallmek
“When I get home, I'll call you.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “wa9telli” but also “wa9tli” and “waqtelli”. 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.