# All dialects: حال / حوال



## Hemza

Hello,

Why in some dialects (I know his feature exists in the Maghreb) some people use "حوال" instead of "حال"?
For example, when asking about someone, many Maghrebis say "what+حوالك?" or even use حوال where حال "should" be used.

I think it's mostly a bedouin feature in the Maghreb.

What about others?


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## akhooha

As far as I know, "حوال" is just a shortened form of "أحوال" which is the plural of "حال".  It is found in the Tunisian Arabic expression شْنيه حْوالك (shniyya Hwaalak) (how are you) . I don't think there's any difference in meaning between the singular and plural.What evidence do you have for a bedouin origin?


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## momai

Although it is not that common to ask about الأحوال (instead, we'd rather ask about الأخبار), some Syrians also use it.
So yes, we use the plural form,too.


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## Hemza

Thanks for your replies, guys.

I know about the Tunisian expression but this word is used across the Maghreb, not only there. I mean by bedouin origin that traditionally, in the Maghreb, it's mostly used by bedouin dialects speakers (and areas influenced by bedouin speech) and in urban places (don't really know about rural speakers) we use أخبار. But my point is why people use the plural instead of the singular?

As @momai said, they also use the plural in Syria. What could explain this use?


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## miss.cherie

I have a lot of Iraqi friends who use كيف الأحوال on the regularand one told me that they use كيف الحال and كيف الأحوال interchangeably but that it varies by region.

Although it sounds like a strange translation (since we wouldn't use the plural in English), it is perfectly acceptable in Arabic as the plural form. And as you noted above, Arabic also uses الأخبار which is the plural of خبر. The phrase كيف الأخبار uses the plural form just like كيف الأحوال.


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## Hemza

Yes, but الأخبار means "news" so the plural is relevant while for "أحوال" it's different.


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## hjr.lm7mudia.hntati

In my fathers Sfaxi Tunisian dialect, they ALWAYS say "sh7alik"
شحالك لاباس ماهو؟
"sh7alik, labaas mahu?" using the singular
I never hear them say "shna7walik" like the Tunisian im used to..always "sh7aalik"

and I know this is a little confusing because in Algeria and Morocco "sh7al" means how much.. the equivalent of "gidaash" or "9adaash" in Tunisian
I would also like to point out that i read the "sfaxi" dialect is pre-hilalian...if that helps with anything


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## tounsi51

In Bizerte, the old people still use sh7alek. But sh7alek is also used in the UAE at least.


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## hjr.lm7mudia.hntati

Oh that's interesting. And I'm not sure about the UAE, I don't think I heard people from there using it before. Again, I don't really know.


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## tounsi51

I am telling you about the UAE because I live there


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## hjr.lm7mudia.hntati

OH   gosh how silly of me..i didn't notice till now XD


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## tounsi51

If I am not wrong, the UAE is the only country in Khaleej using sh7alak, others use kef al 7al or shlonak


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## hjr.lm7mudia.hntati

Ummm…I don’t have too much experience with khaleeji Arabi.
I'd imagine they say “shi5barich”.

shim3arifny ana brabby hhh


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## tounsi51

shi5barich doesn't mean how are you.


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## hjr.lm7mudia.hntati

Well, yes, not really, it's asking about your "a5baar". My bad.


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## Hemza

hjr.lm7mudia.hntati said:


> In my fathers Sfaxi tunisian dialect, they ALWAYS say "sh7alik"
> شحالك لاباس ماهو؟
> "sh7alik, labaas mahu?" using the singular
> i never hear them say "shna7walik" like the Tunisian im used to..always "sh7aalik"



"sh7aalek/sh7aalik" is also used in 7assaania dialect (Southern Morocco and Mauritania). And in Morocco, bedouin speakers often say "جيت نسول على حوالك" instead of "أخبارك".



> and i know this is a little confusing because in Algeria and Morocco "sh7al" means how much.. the equivalent of "gidaash" or "9adaash" in Tunisian
> i would also like to point out that i read the "sfaxi" dialect is pre-hilalian...if that helps with anything



You want to add confusion to confusion? Well  in Morocco and Algeria, "sh7al" is used as well as "qaddesh/giddesh" they're interchangeable, but it depends on the speaker. Also, in the South (as well as Mauritania and I suppose, parts of Algeria) "sh7aal" is only used when asking about someone's state/news ( شحالك شطاري؟ ياك لا باس؟ ياك بخير؟ و الخ ).


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## hjr.lm7mudia.hntati

Ah ok. Got it.
I actually like the way "ch7al" sounds much better than "9adaash".
XD


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