“roll” in Arabic dialects
noun
How do you say roll across the major spoken Arabic dialects? Compare roll (noun) sense by sense across 5 dialects — Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, Iraqi, Maghrebi — with English meaning, native script, transliteration and usage.
What does “roll” mean?
noun
- Rotary motion of an object around its own axis“wheels in axial rotation”
- A list of names“his name was struck off the rolls”
- A long heavy sea wave as it advances towards the shore
English definitions from Princeton WordNet.
Quick comparison across dialects
| Dialect | Arabic (roll) | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Egyptian Arabic | عيش كايزر | ʿēsh kayzar |
| Levantine Arabic | صمّونة | ṣammūneh |
| Gulf Arabic | لفة | laffah |
| Iraqi Arabic | لفة | laffa |
| Maghrebi Arabic | خبزة صغيرة | khobza ṣghira |
Full breakdown by dialect
Egyptian Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| عيش كايزر | ʿēsh kayzar | a small, round bread roll |
| فينو | fīno | a small, long bread roll |
| لفة | laffa | a cylinder of paper, cloth, etc. |
| بكرة | bakara | a spool or reel, like for thread or film |
Levantine Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| صمّونة | ṣammūneh | a small loaf of bread |
| لفّة | laffeh | a cylinder of paper or cloth |
| قائمة | qāʾimeh | an official list of names |
Gulf Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| لفة | laffah | a cylinder of paper, cloth, etc. |
| رول | rōl | a roll of something (loanword) |
| صمونة | ṣammūnah | a bread roll |
Iraqi Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| لفة | laffa | a cylinder of paper, cloth, etc. |
| صمونة | ṣammūna | a small, individual bread roll |
| قائمة | qāʾima | a list of names, a roll call |
Maghrebi Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| خبزة صغيرة | khobza ṣghira | a small loaf of bread |
| رولو | rulo | a roll of paper, fabric, etc. (from French) |
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