Lalla (Lella), Řalla or Řadja is an

Amazigh Berbers, or the Berber peoples, also known as Amazigh or Imazighen, are a diverse grouping of distinct ethnic groups indigenous to North Africa who predate the arrival of Arabs in the Maghreb. Their main connections are identified by their u ...

word and title meaning "Lady", "My lady", "Miss." or "Mrs.". The honorific title ''Lalla'' is used all over the countries of the Maghreb, which are

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

Mauritania Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...

, and

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

, to politely address or mention any woman. In Morocco, if the respected or adult woman is known to the person, he or she would address her using the title ''Lalla'' before using her personal name or family name. In Mauritania, ''Lalla'' is often used on its own as a

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...

for women. It is sometimes also used with another noun to form a compound given name, such as in the names of Lalla-Aicha and Lalla-Meryem. The title ''Lalla'' has always been in standard use by the many royal families of

and

as a title for each and every princess and king's wife. It is also used as a fixed

honorary title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify their generation, official position, military rank, professional or academic qualification, or nobility. In some languages, titles may be ins ...

in combination with the woman's personal name as a sign of distinction given to women from royal or noble families among the people of the Maghreb. In many place names and mausoleums in the Maghreb, the title ''Lalla'' can also be understood as "female saint". In the everyday Berber language, the word ''Lalla'' can also mean in some regions "older sister", "older female cousin", "aunt", "mother-in-law", etc. The word has dialectal varieties such as ''Řalla'' and ''Řadja'', but the form ''Lalla'' is the most common. The word ''Lalla'' is derived from the

Berber language The Berber languages, also known as the Amazigh languages or Tamazight, are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They comprise a group of closely related but mostly mutually unintelligible languages spoken by Berber communities, who ar ...

noun ''Alallu'' which means "dignity", and from the Berber verb "lullet" meaning "to be free" or "to be noble". The Berber word "''tilelli''", which means ''freedom'', is related to the same

semantic field In linguistics, a semantic field is a related set of words grouped semantically (by meaning) that refers to a specific subject.Howard Jackson, Etienne Zé Amvela, ''Words, Meaning, and Vocabulary'', Continuum, 2000, p14. The term is also used in ...

. ''Smiyet'' (or ''Smiyit'') ''Lalla'' is a title of respect used for a daughter bearing the same name as her mother or grandmother. The masculine versions of the title ''Lalla'' in Morocco are: Moulay,

Sidi ''Sidi'' or ''Sayidi'', also Sayyidi and Sayeedi, ( (dialectal) "milord") is an Arabic masculine title of respect. ''Sidi'' is used often to mean "saint" or "my master" in Maghrebi Arabic and Egyptian Arabic. Without the first person possessiv ...

(of Arabic origin); and "''Mass''", "''Dda''", "''Dadda''" (of Berber origin). The two titles "Moulay" and "Sidi" are said to princes, chieftains, saints, or any respected men in society or family.

Notable Lalla

Celebrities and Princesses

* Lalla Fatma N'Soumer (1830–1863), heroine of the Kabyle resistance (

) against the

French colonial empire The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas Colony, colonies, protectorates, and League of Nations mandate, mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "Firs ...

. * Lalla Chella, wife of the Sultan of

Merinid The Marinid dynasty ( ) was a Berber Muslim dynasty that controlled present-day Morocco from the mid-13th to the 15th century and intermittently controlled other parts of North Africa (Algeria and Tunisia) and of the southern Iberian Peninsula ...

and Abbessine origin Abu al-Hasan and whose necropolis is located in

Chellah The Chellah or Shalla ( or ; ), is a medieval fortified Muslim necropolis and ancient archeological site in Rabat, Morocco, located on the south (left) side of the Bou Regreg estuary. The earliest evidence of the site's occupation suggests that th ...

, Morocco. * Lalla Zoulikha Oudai, Algerian resistance fighter, intelligence operative, and martyr of the

Algerian War of Independence The Algerian War (also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence) ''; '' (and sometimes in Algeria as the ''War of 1 November'') was an armed conflict between France and the Algerian National Liberation Front (Algeri ...

. * Lalla Traki (18..–1919), daughter of Muhammad IV of Tunisia and wife of Muhammad VII. * Lalla Khedaoudj El Amia, daughter of Hassan El Khaznadji,

treasurer A treasurer is a person responsible for the financial operations of a government, business, or other organization. Government The treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The treasure ...

of Dey Baba Mohammed ben-Osman ( Dey of the regency of Algiers in the 18th century). Saada2

* Lalla Kmar (1862–1942), queen consort of Tunisia during three reigns, after having successively married Muhammad III Sadiq, Ali III and Muhammad V * Lalla Jeneïna (1887–1960), last queen consort of Tunisia and wife of Muhammad VIII, last king of Tunisia. * Lalla Aïcha (1906–1994), first daughter and eldest child of King Muhammad VIII of Tunisia. * Lalla Abla (1909–1992), wife of King

Mohammed V of Morocco Mohammed al-Khamis bin Yusef bin Hassan al-Alawi, better known simply as Mohammed V (10 August 1909 – 26 February 1961), was the last Sultan of Morocco from 1927 to 1953 and from 1955 to 1957, and first King of Morocco from 1957 to 1961. A ...

and mother of King

Hassan II of Morocco Hassan II (; 9 July 1929 – 23 July 1999) was King of Morocco from 1961 until his death in 1999. A member of the Alawi dynasty, he was the eldest son of King Mohammed V of Morocco, Mohammed V, and his second wife Princess Lalla Abla ...

. * Lalla Zakia (1921–1998), daughter of Muhammad VIII, last king of Tunisia. * Lalla Lilia (1929–2021), daughter of Muhammad VIII, last king of Tunisia. * Lalla Aïcha (1931–2011), sister of King Hassan II, and daughter of King Mohammed V of Morocco. * Lalla Malika (1933–2021), sister of King Hassan II, and daughter of King Mohammed V of Morocco. * Lalla Latifa (1945–2024), widow of King

Hassan II Hassan, Hasan, Hassane, Haasana, Hassaan, Asan, Hassun, Hasun, Hassen, Hasson or Hasani may refer to: People *Hassan (given name), Arabic given name and a list of people with that given name *Hassan (surname), Arabic, Jewish, Irish, and Scotti ...

, and mother of King

Mohammed VI of Morocco Mohammed VI (; born 21 August 1963) is King of Morocco. A member of the Alawi dynasty, he acceded to the throne on 23 July 1999, upon the death of his father, King Hassan II. Upon ascending to the throne, Mohammed initially introduced severa ...

* Lalla Nuzha (1940–1977), sister of King Hassan II, and daughter of King Mohammed V of Morocco. * Lalla Amina (1954–2012), sister of King Hassan II, and daughter of King Mohammed V of Morocco. * Lalla Meryem (1962–), first daughter and eldest child of King Hassan II of Morocco and sister of King Mohammed VI. * Lalla Asma (1965–), daughter of King Hassan II of Morocco and sister of King Mohammed VI. * Lalla Hasna (1967–), daughter of King Hassan II of Morocco and sister of King Mohammed VI. * Lalla Salma (1978–),

princess consort Princess consort is an official title or an informal designation that is normally accorded to the wife of a sovereign prince. The title may be used for the wife of a king if the more usual designation of queen consort is not used. More informal ...

of Morocco and wife of King Mohammed VI of Morocco. * Lalla Khadija (2007–), daughter of King Mohammed VI of Morocco.

Saints

* Lalla Khlidja, also called Yemma Khlidja, woman poetess and saint Kabyle woman of the tribe of Imchedalen. * Lalla Maghnia,

saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

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

. The town of Lalla Mimouna located in the province of

Kenitra Kenitra (, , , ) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is a port on the Sebou River with a population of 507,736 as of 2024. It is one of the three main cities of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region and the capital of the similarly named Kénitra ...

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.

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

families in

Tlemcen Tlemcen (; ) is the second-largest city in northwestern Algeria after Oran and is the capital of Tlemcen Province. The city has developed leather, carpet, and textile industries, which it exports through the port of Rachgoun. It had a population of ...

, 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 The Sous region (also spelt Sus, Suss, Souss or Sousse) (, ) is a historical, cultural and geographical region of Morocco, which constitutes part of the region administration of Souss-Massa and Guelmim-Oued Noun. The region is known for the en ...

region of Morocco. * Lalla Manna (18..–1939) or Emna Ben Hammouda, known to be one of the righteous saints of Tunisia.

Tombs and mausoleums

* 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 Tunis (, ') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Tunisia. The greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as "Grand Tunis", has about 2,700,000 inhabitants. , it is the third-largest city in the Maghreb region (after Casabl ...

, Tunisia.

Others

* Treaty of Lalla Maghnia. * Mosque of Lalla Saïda. * Lalla Abla Mosque in

Tangier Tangier ( ; , , ) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the capital city, capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture of Moroc ...

, Morocco. * Museum of Lalla Hadria, museum in

Djerba Djerba (; , ; ), also transliterated as Jerba or Jarbah, is a Tunisian island and the largest island of North Africa at , in the Gulf of Gabès, off the coast of Tunisia. Administratively, it is part of Medenine Governorate. The island h ...

, Tunisia.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lalla (title) Moroccan Arabic words and phrases Arabic-language honorifics Religious honorifics Women's social titles Religious titles Noble titles Berber culture Moroccan monarchy Tunisian monarchy Tunisian Arabic words and phrases Berber words and phrases History of women in Morocco