dêllik

Usage examples

• Dêllik neke, tu dê xwe xirab bikî.
  Don't act like a fool/bitch — you'll ruin yourself.
• Ev dêllik çi ye ku tu dikî?
  What is this stupidity/nonsense you're doing?

Etymology

Formed from the Kurmanji adjective "dêl" (crazy, mad, foolish) plus the abstract-noun suffix "-lik," producing "dêllik" (madness, foolishness). In everyday Kurmanji speech the word has shifted from its literal sense into a general-purpose insult directed at people — male or female — perceived as behaving recklessly or contemptibly. The semantic overlap with "bitch" is pragmatic rather than etymological; no canine root is involved.

Cultural notes

Kurmanji Kurdish is spoken predominantly in southeastern Turkey, northern Syria, and northern Iraq. "Dêllik" sits in the register of heated street speech and is most often used in arguments to dismiss or demean someone's behaviour. It is considerably less severe than dedicated sexual insults in the language, and its force comes chiefly from the implication of irrationality. In some rural dialects the word retains a more clinical sense of mental illness and would be heard as stigmatising rather than merely rude.

Accuracy

50% of 2 voters say this translation is accurate.