بلطجي

Arabic

Etymology

From the dialects of the eastern Mediterranean, including Egyptian Arabic بلطجي (balṭagi, thug), from Ottoman Turkish بالطه‌جی (baltacı, literally axeman). Related to Arabic بَلْطَة (balṭa).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bal.tˤa.d͡ʒijj/

Noun

بَلْطَجِيّ • (balṭajiyym (plural بَلَاطِجَة (balāṭija) or بَلْطَجِيُّونَ (balṭajiyyūna), feminine بَلْطَجِيَّة (balṭajiyya)) (countable, Modern Standard Arabic)

  1. a thug

Declension

Declension of noun بَلْطَجِيّ (balṭajiyy)
singular basic singular triptote
indefinite definite construct
informal بَلْطَجِي
balṭajī
الْبَلْطَجِي
al-balṭajī
بَلْطَجِي
balṭajī
nominative بَلْطَجِيٌّ
balṭajiyyun
الْبَلْطَجِيُّ
al-balṭajiyyu
بَلْطَجِيُّ
balṭajiyyu
accusative بَلْطَجِيًّا
balṭajiyyan
الْبَلْطَجِيَّ
al-balṭajiyya
بَلْطَجِيَّ
balṭajiyya
genitive بَلْطَجِيٍّ
balṭajiyyin
الْبَلْطَجِيِّ
al-balṭajiyyi
بَلْطَجِيِّ
balṭajiyyi
dual indefinite definite construct
informal بَلْطَجِيَّيْن
balṭajiyyayn
الْبَلْطَجِيَّيْن
al-balṭajiyyayn
بَلْطَجِيَّيْ
balṭajiyyay
nominative بَلْطَجِيَّانِ
balṭajiyyāni
الْبَلْطَجِيَّانِ
al-balṭajiyyāni
بَلْطَجِيَّا
balṭajiyyā
accusative بَلْطَجِيَّيْنِ
balṭajiyyayni
الْبَلْطَجِيَّيْنِ
al-balṭajiyyayni
بَلْطَجِيَّيْ
balṭajiyyay
genitive بَلْطَجِيَّيْنِ
balṭajiyyayni
الْبَلْطَجِيَّيْنِ
al-balṭajiyyayni
بَلْطَجِيَّيْ
balṭajiyyay
plural sound masculine plural‎;
broken plural triptote in ـَة (-a)
indefinite definite construct
informal بَلْطَجِيِّين‎; بَلَاطِجَة‎; بَلْطَجِيَّة
balṭajiyyīn‎; balāṭija‎; balṭajiyya
الْبَلْطَجِيِّين‎; الْبَلَاطِجَة‎; الْبَلْطَجِيَّة
al-balṭajiyyīn‎; al-balāṭija‎; al-balṭajiyya
بَلْطَجِيِّي‎; بَلَاطِجَة‎; بَلْطَجِيَّة
balṭajiyyī‎; balāṭijat‎; balṭajiyyat
nominative بَلْطَجِيُّونَ‎; بَلَاطِجَةٌ‎; بَلْطَجِيَّةٌ
balṭajiyyūna‎; balāṭijatun‎; balṭajiyyatun
الْبَلْطَجِيُّونَ‎; الْبَلَاطِجَةُ‎; الْبَلْطَجِيَّةُ
al-balṭajiyyūna‎; al-balāṭijatu‎; al-balṭajiyyatu
بَلْطَجِيُّو‎; بَلَاطِجَةُ‎; بَلْطَجِيَّةُ
balṭajiyyū‎; balāṭijatu‎; balṭajiyyatu
accusative بَلْطَجِيِّينَ‎; بَلَاطِجَةً‎; بَلْطَجِيَّةً
balṭajiyyīna‎; balāṭijatan‎; balṭajiyyatan
الْبَلْطَجِيِّينَ‎; الْبَلَاطِجَةَ‎; الْبَلْطَجِيَّةَ
al-balṭajiyyīna‎; al-balāṭijata‎; al-balṭajiyyata
بَلْطَجِيِّي‎; بَلَاطِجَةَ‎; بَلْطَجِيَّةَ
balṭajiyyī‎; balāṭijata‎; balṭajiyyata
genitive بَلْطَجِيِّينَ‎; بَلَاطِجَةٍ‎; بَلْطَجِيَّةٍ
balṭajiyyīna‎; balāṭijatin‎; balṭajiyyatin
الْبَلْطَجِيِّينَ‎; الْبَلَاطِجَةِ‎; الْبَلْطَجِيَّةِ
al-balṭajiyyīna‎; al-balāṭijati‎; al-balṭajiyyati
بَلْطَجِيِّي‎; بَلَاطِجَةِ‎; بَلْطَجِيَّةِ
balṭajiyyī‎; balāṭijati‎; balṭajiyyati

Egyptian Arabic

Etymology

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish بالطه‌جی (baltacı, hatchetman, axeman). By surface analysis, بلطة (balṭa) +‎ ـجي (-gi).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bal.tˤa.ɡi/, [bɑlˈtˤɑɡi]

Noun

بلطجي • (balṭagim (plural بلطجيّة (balṭagiyya)) (countable)

  1. a thug, a gangster, a hoodlum, a goon, a hooligan
    ده لازم يتحاكم البلطجي ده. الولد اللي اتقتل ده ذنبه ايه؟ بجد والله شيء محزن.
    da lāzim yitḥākim il-balṭagi da. il-walad illi tʔatal da zambu ʔē? bi-gadd wa-llāhi šēʔ muḥzin.
    He must be prosecuted, that thug! That boy that was killed, what did he do wrong? I swear to God this is something really saddening.
    من داخلية مصر لداخلية السودان مفرقناش كتير كلهم شوية بلطجية.
    min daḵliyyit maṣr li-daḵliyyit is-sudān mafarraʔnāš kitīr kulluhum šiwayyit balṭagiyya.
    Between the Egyptian police and the Sudanese police, there is not much of a distinction; all of them are a bunch of thugs.
    1. a bully
      لازم نحرص منه ده واد بلطجي.
      lāzim niḥarras minnu da wād balṭagi.
      We must watch for him, that kid is a bully.
  2. (obsolete, military) a pioneer, a sapper (a class of palace guards in the Ottoman Empire)

Synonyms

  • بطحجي (baṭaḥgi)
  • شبيح (šabbīḥ)
  • صايع (ṣāyiʕ)

Derived terms

  • بلطج (balṭag)
  • بلطجة (balṭaga)

See also