zawali زوالي
Tunisian Derja · noun
“zawali” (زوالي) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning poor, destitute person.
Meanings
- poor, destitute person
- poor, without means
- poor him (compassion)
Usage
A very common word for a person of modest means or without resources, often with a note of sympathy: "ezzawali" refers to ordinary people, those who struggle to make ends meet. It is used as a noun or as an adjective ("rajel zawali", a poor man). Feminine zawalia, plural zwewla. It also expresses pity: "ya zawali" or "zawali 3la rou7ou" are equivalent to "the poor thing!". It is not pejorative. The tone can be affectionate, sympathetic or defiant when talking about the working classes. Not to be confused with fa9ir, which is more formal.
Example
هاذكم حل الزوالي كيفاه عايش فال فقير ,
8adhkom 7al ezawwèli kifeh 3ayich fil fa9ir ,
“Here is the poor man's situation: how he lives in poverty.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “zawali” but also “zaweli”, “zawwali”, “zawwèli”, “zawelli” and “zawwelli”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “zawali” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “poor, destitute”; “humble, ordinary person”: zawali in Algerian.