Lalla (title)

For other uses, see Lalla (disambiguation).

Lalla is an honorific title meaning 'lady', 'my lady', 'miss' or 'mrs', used in the Maghreb to politely address or refer to any woman. In Morocco, if a woman is known to the speaker, they would address her as 'Lalla' followed by her personal or family name. In Mauritania, Lalla is often used on its own as a first name for women. It is also sometimes used with another noun to form a compound name, such as in the names Lalla Aicha and Lalla Meryem.

The title 'Lalla' has long been used by royal families in Morocco and Tunisia to refer to princesses and the consorts of kings. It is also used as an honorary title in combination with a woman's personal name, signifying distinction among women of royal or noble families in the Maghreb. In many place names and mausoleums in the Maghreb, Lalla can also mean "female saint".

In colloquial Amazigh, the word lalla can mean "older sister", "older female cousin", "aunt", "mother-in-law", and so on. Dialectal varieties of the word include Řalla and Řadja, but Lalla is the most common form. It is derived from the Amazigh noun alallu, meaning 'dignity', and the Berber verb lullet, meaning 'to be free' or 'to be noble'. The Amazigh word tilelli, meaning 'freedom', is also related to this semantic field.

'Smiyet' (also spelled 'Smiyit') is a reverent term of address for a daughter who shares the same name as her mother or grandmother.

The masculine versions of the Moroccan title 'Lalla' are: Moulay and Sidi (of Arabic origin) and Mass, Dda, and Dadda (of Amazigh origin). These titles are given to princes, chieftains, saints, or respected men in society or within a family.

Notable Lalla

Celebrities and Princesses

Essaada palace built by Muhammad V Nasir of Tunisia for his wife Lalla Kmar for her sake

Saints

  • Lalla Khlidja, also called Yemma Khlidja, woman poetess and saint Kabyle woman of the tribe of Imchedalen.
  • Lalla Maghnia, saint who gave her name to the city of Maghnia in Algeria.
  • Lalla Mimouna, saint, celebrated by both Jews and Muslims throughout the Maghreb, especially in Morocco and Algeria. The town of Lalla Mimouna located in the province of Kenitra in Morocco bears her name. It is nearby the town of Moulay Bousselham which is named after another saint that is typically associated with her.[1] Jewish families in Tlemcen, Algeria, celebrate Mimouna in tribute.
  • Lalla Manoubia, Tunisian saint of great renown. A hagiographic account entitled Manâqib is dedicated to her.
  • Lalla Aziza, saint celebrated by the Amazighs of the Seksawa of the High Atlas. 16th century woman who had played a role in resistance to the Merinids. It introduced Sufism into the region and marked the independence of the Seksawa.
  • Lalla Rahma Youssef, saint of Massa, in the Sous region of Morocco.
  • Lalla Manna (18..–1939) or Emna Ben Hammouda, known to be one of the righteous saints of Tunisia.

Tombs and mausoleums

Mausoleum of Lalla Mennana in Tunis.
  • Tomb of Lalla Aziza, located in the country Seksawa, in the High Atlas, in Morocco.
  • Mausoleum of Lalla Mennana, in Tunis, Tunisia.
  • Mausoleum of Lalla Yemna, located at the top of Mount Gouraya in Bejaïa, in Kabylia, Algeria.
  • Mausoleum of Lalla Manoubia, located in El Gorjani, in Tunis, Tunisia.

Others

See also

References

  1. ^ Hour, Rachid El; Marín, Manuela (2022-05-16). Memory and Presence of Female Saints in Ksar El Kebir (Morocco): Oral Transmission and Written Tradition. Brill. p. 20. ISBN 978-90-04-51310-5.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lalla_(title)