wkala وكالة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“wkala” (وكالة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning agency (travel, bank…).
Meanings
- agency (travel, bank…)
- power of attorney
Usage
Wkala refers to a commercial or administrative agency. The most frequent uses are wkalet asfar (travel agency), wkalet krà (rental agency), or the branch of a bank, a phone operator or STEG. In a legal context, the word also means "power of attorney": "3mel wkala l khouh" (he gave power of attorney to his brother). This second sense is very common in procedures involving the diaspora, who often entrust a relative in Tunisia with managing a property. The colloquial pronunciation is wkéla.
Example
مشيت للوكالة باش نشري التيكي
mchit lel wkala bech nechri et-tiki
“I went to the agency to buy the ticket.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “wkala” but also “wkela”, “wakala” and “wekala”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “wkala” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “agency (commercial, bank, travel)”; “power of attorney”: wakala in Moroccan.