dar 3ammi دار عمي
Algerian Darja · expression
“dar 3ammi” (دار عمي) is an expression in Algerian Darja meaning my paternal uncle's family.
Meanings
- my paternal uncle's family
- my uncle's house
Usage
Dar 3ammi means both the house and the family of the paternal uncle: the uncle, his wife and his children. Dar followed by a relative's or family name very often refers to the people rather than the building: dar khali for the maternal uncle's family, dar jeddi for the grandfather's. For an English speaker, the pitfall is always translating it as "house", whereas "at my uncle's" or "my uncle's family" is often more accurate.
Example
رانا معروضين عند دار عمي غدوة.
rana ma3roudhin 3and dar 3ammi ghedwa.
“We're invited to my uncle's place tomorrow.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “dar 3ammi” but also “dar ammi”, “dar 3emmi” and “dar aammi”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.