Algerian Arabic dialogues from 1847 part 1
- Mille Larsen •9 mins read
Language samples of the Derdja, or Algerian Arabic spoken in 1847's Constantine
I've been on the lookout for useful material that I can use to learn the Algerian dialect of Arabic for a long time. Good sources are hard to come by, but recently I found an old book online called Guide de la conversation française-arabe written by a "J. Honorat Delaporte" who was an interpreter for the French army when the book was published in 1847. The book is basically a thorough phrasebook for French soldiers, needing some kind of command of the Algerian dialect in order to communicate with the Algerians in what was then a French colony. Algeria later regained its god-given independence, but this book still exists, and I am told that the Algerian phrases within correspond quite well with the Derdja that is spoken in Algeria today. In another edition the introduction explains that the language samples within are based on the Derdja of the Algerian city of Constantine.
The book consists of 39 dialogues dealing with various subjects. For each phrase in French, there is a translation in Derdja written in Arabic characters, the equivalent written with the Roman alphabet and a hyper-literal translation. I have translated the French phrases as well as the hyper-literal translations into English as well as transcribed the text from the original scan for the first dialogue that you can find below. I hope to eventually do the rest of the book. Please let me know what you think in the comment section below.
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Here are the other dialogues from the book that I have published so far Algerian Arabic dialogues from 1847 part 2
First dialogue
Greetings and common expressions
| Hello sir | صباح الخير يا سيدي | Ssbahh el-khir ia sidi |
| Morning the-good oh, sir | ||
| I salute you | سلام عليكم | Salamou âlaïkum |
| Salute on you | ||
| I salute you back | عليكم السلام | Âleïkum es-salam |
| On you the-salute | ||
| I haven't seen you for a long time | قدّاش ما شفتك شي | Qaddache ma chouftek chi |
| How-long I haven't seen you not | ||
| How are you? | اش انت | Ach nta |
| How you? | ||
| Good, thanks to god. | بخير الحمد لله | Bkhir el-hhamdou lillah |
| With-good, the-paise to god | ||
| I'm glad that you're well | رانى فرحان بلّى انت بخير | Rani ferhhan belli nta bkhir |
| I am happy that you with-good | ||
| And you, how are you? | وانت واش حالك | Wa nta wach hhalek |
| And you what your-state? | ||
| Not very well, I'm a little sick. | ما في حالي شي راني شويّة مريض | Ma fi hhali chi, rani chouiia mridh |
| Not in my-state not, I am a little sick | ||
| The heat is suffocating me | السخنة غمتني | Es-skhana ghommetni |
| The heat is suffocating me | ||
| What? The dessert wind doesn't blow today | كيف اش القبلي ما خدم شي اليوم | Kif ach el qabli ma khedem chi el-ioum |
| Like what the sirocco (hot desert winds) don't work today | ||
| May your day be happy | نهاركم مبروك | Nharek mebrouk |
| Your day, happy | ||
| I kiss your hands | راني نبوس بيدك | Rani nbous byaddek |
| I am i kiss with your hand | ||
| How are things at your place? | كاش راهي داركم | Kach rahi darkoum |
| How is your house? | ||
| Good, may god hold you dear | بخير الله يعزك | Bkhir allah iâzzek |
| With good, god hold-you-dear | ||
| May god bless you | الله يبارك فيك | Allah ibarek fik |
| God bless dans you | ||
| How did you sleep tonight? | كاش رقدت الليلة | Kach rqodt el-lila |
| How you-slept the night? | ||
| Very well. And you, how did you sleep tonight? | مليح بالزاف وانت كاش رقدت | Mlihh bezzaf ou nta kach rqodt |
| Well very. And you how you-slept? | ||
| I haven't slept very well | ما رقدت شي مليح | Ma rqodt chi mlihh |
| Not i-slept not well. | ||
| Why haven't you slept well? Do you have worries? | اعلاش ما رقدت شي عندك شي هول | Âlach ma rqodt chi, àndek chi houl |
| Why not you-slept not, have-you worries? | ||
| Not at all, but the thunder has kept me from sleeping | لا لا الرعد ما خلّاني شي نرقد | La la, er-raâd ma khallani chi norqod |
| No no, the thunder not have-let me not i-sleep | ||
| Ja haven't heard it | انا ما سمعته شي | Ana ma smâtou chi |
| Me, not i-heard it not | ||
| I have had a nightmare the whole night | الليلة كاملة بوتلّيس معي | El-lila kamla boutellis maâïa |
| The night, entire, nightmare with-me | ||
| I had a bad dream | نمت منام ما منه شي | Nomt mnam ma mennou chi |
| I dreamt dream bad | ||
| I thank god that you aren't (feeling) bad | الحمد لله ما عندك باس | El-hhamdou lillah ma ândek bas |
| The praise to god, not you have bad | ||
| How is your father? | واش حال باباك | Wach hhal babak |
| And what sate your-father | ||
| He's well | راه مليح / حاله مليح | Rah mlihh / hhalou mlihh |
| He is well / his-state is-well | ||
| He is not well | ما في حاله شي | Ma fi hhalou chi |
| Not in his-state not | ||
| He has a bad cold | مريض بالسعلة بالزاف | Mridh besâla bezzaf |
| Sick with-coughing much | ||
| He has a headache and a toothache | راسه يوجعه / سنانه مراض | Rassou ioudj-oû / snanou mradh |
| His head hurts-him / his-teeth sick | ||
| He can't leave his room | ما ينجم شي يخرخ من البيت | Ma inedjem chi iokhereodj men el-bait |
| Not he-can not he-goes-out of the-house | ||
| I feel bad, beause he doesn't deserve it. | والله يعزّ بي الحال اعلاش ما يستاهل شي | Wallah iâzz biia el-hhal âlache ma ysthal chi |
| By god feel-bad with-me the-state which not he-derserves not | ||
| It'll be nothing, god willing. | لا باس ان شأ الله | La bas in cha allah |
| Not bad, if wants god | ||
| May god cure him | الله يشفيه | Allah ichefih |
| God cures him | ||
| May the lord protect him | ربي ما يورّي له باس | Rabbi ma iouarri lou bas |
| Lord not he sees of him bad | ||
| It's been a long time since I last saw him | قدّاش ما شفته شي | Qaddach ma chouftou chi |
| How-much not seen-him not | ||
| If it doesn't bother him, I'll go pay him a little visit | اذا ما اخذ شي في خاطرة نخي نطلّ عليه | Ida ma khda chi fi khathrou nji ntholl âlih |
| If not take not in his-willing I-come I-visit on-him | ||
| He'll be happy to see you. | ماذا به تجيه يشفك | Mada bih tdjih ichoufek |
| How-much with-him you-come-to-him he-sees-you | ||
| Excuse me, I can't go see him today. | اسمح لي اليوم ما ننجم شي نروح له | Esmahh li el-ioum ma nendjem chi nrouhh lou |
| Excuse to-me today not I-can not I-go to-him | ||
| At what time do you think that I could go to him tomorrow? | اش من وقت تقول نمشي له غدوا | Ach men waqt tqoul nemchi lou ghoudwa |
| What of time you-say I-walk to-him tomorrow | ||
| In the morning, at the time that you prefer. | الصباح الوقت الّي حبّ حاطرك | Ess-ssabahh el-waqt elli hhabb khathrek |
| The-morning the-time that want your-willing | ||
| Say hi to your brother from me | سلّم على اخوك من عندي | Sellem âla khouk min ândi |
| Salute on your-brother from my-place | ||
| Good, I'll not forget it. | مليح ننسي شي | Mlihh ma nensa chi |
| Good, not I-forget not | ||
| We'll see each other again in good health if god wants it. | نتلاقوا ان شأ الله بخير | Netlaqaou in cha allah bkhir |
| We-will-meet if god wants with-good | ||
| May god help you | الله يعونك | Allah iâounek |
| God will-help you | ||
| Be well | ابق على خير | Abqa âla khir |
| Stay on good | ||
| Go in peace | امشي بالسلامة | Emchi bes-salama |
| Walk with-the-peace | ||
| May god preserve your health | الله يشدّ لك صحتك | Allah ichedd lek ssahhtek |
| God hold to-you your-health | ||
| May god preserve you | الله يحفظك | Allah ihhafdhek |
| God conserves-you | ||
| Prosper | تربح | Terbahh |
| You-win | ||
| May god make you meet prosparity | ربي يلاقيك بخير | Rabbi ilaqik bkhir |
| My-lord make-you-meet with-good | ||
| May god accompany you | الله يكون معك | Allah ikoun maâk |
| God will-be with-you | ||
| May god give you all kinds of good | الله يعطيك كلّ خير | Allah iâthik koull khir |
| God gives-you all good | ||
| May god forgive you | الله يسمح لكم | Allah iesmahh lek |
| God forgives to-you | ||
| I pray god that he'll accomplish your desires. | نطلب من الله يعطيك كلّ ما تشتهي | Nothlob men allah iâthik koull ma techtechi |
| I-ask from god he-gives all what you-desire | ||
| May god preserve you from all bad things | ربّي ما يورّي لكم باس | Rabbi ma iouarri lek bas |
| My-lord not make-see to-you bad | ||
| Good evening, good night. | مسا الخير | Msa el-khir |
| Evening the-good | ||
| Hello | اهلا و سهلا | Ahlan ou sahlan |
| In-the-way-of-family and facility | ||
| The prosparity has paid us a visit (when recieving visitors) | زارتنا البركة | Zaratna el-baraka |
| Has-visited-us the-prosperity | ||
| Take a chair | خذ كرسي | Khoud kursi |
| Take chair | ||
| Sit down a little | اقعد شويّة | Oqôd chouiia |
| Sit a-little | ||
| Impossible | محال | Mouhhal |
| Impossible | ||
| What's wrong? Are you in a hurry? | اش بك راك مغاول | Ach bik rak mghaouel |
| What with-you you-are in-a-hurry | ||
| Yes, I have to go to the judge to transfer a deed | نعم لازم نمشي في دار القاضي نجوز واحد العقد | Naâm lazem nemchi fi dar el-qadhi ndjououez wahhed elâqad |
| Yes, must I-go to house the-judge I-transfer a deed | ||
| I will return as soon as I have finished | نرجع من هنا شويّة كيف نخلص | Nerdja men hna chouiia kif nkhalless |
| I-return from here little like I-finish | ||
| Don't forget, because I have some things to tell you | ما تنسى شي عندي واحد الحاجة نحبّ نقولها لك | Ma tensa chi ândi wahhed el-hhadja nhhabb nquoulha lek |
| Don't forget not I-have one thing I-want tell-it to-you | ||
| In two hours, I'll be back, | نجي في ساعتين من زمان | Ndji fi saâtin men ez-zman |
| I-come in two-hours from time | ||
| Promise me | تعمل لي مزيّة | tâmel li maziia |
| you-make to-me favour | ||
| No reason for thanking me | ما كان حاجة | Ma kan hhadja |
| Not is thing | ||
| I will prepare the coffee and a pipe | ماشي نطيّب قهيوة و نوجّد سبيسي دخّان | Machi nthaïieb qehioua ou nonedjdjed sbissi doukhkhan |
| I-walk i-cook little-coffee and I-prepare little-pipe tobacco | ||
| May god grow your good deeds (thank you) | الله يكثر خيرك | Allah ikettar khirek |
| God increase your-good | ||
| Don't make such efforts | ما تشقا شي | Ma techeqa chi |
| Don't you-make-efforts not | ||
| It's regretful that you're leaving | انت مشيت و قلبك خلّيت | Nta mchit ou qalbek khallit |
| You walk and your-heart you-leave-behind | ||
| In leaving, I take your heart with me | انا مشيت و قلبك ادّيت | Ana mchit ou qalbek eddit |
| I I-go and your-heart I-bring | ||
| May your day be happy, and may the prayers be on the beloved prophet. | نهارك مبروك يومك سعيد الصلاة على النبي الحبيب | Nharek mebrouk ioumek sâid ess-ssalat âla en-nabi el-hhabib |
| Your-day blessed your-day happy the-prayer on the-prophet the-beloved | ||
| May your morning be prosperous and may the sultan kiss you, may he put a rose on your head, and may a hundred female camels stay in your park | صباحك رباحك و السلطان باسك و يرشق لك وريدة في راسك و مية ناقة و ناقة تسرح في مراحك | Ssbahhek rbahhek ou es-solthan bassek ou ierchaq lek ourida li rassek ou miet naga ou naga tsrahh fi mrahhek |
| Your-morning your-gain and the-sultan kiss-you and place to-you rose to your-head and hundred female-camels and female-camel free in your-park (place where camels are kept) |
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