temma ثم
Algerian Darja · adverb
“temma” (ثم) is an adverb in Algerian Darja meaning there, in that place.
Meanings
- there, in that place
- from there, then (men temma)
Usage
Temma is the common adverb of place in Darja for "there" or "over there". It refers to a place that is far away or already mentioned, as opposed to hna ("here"). It appears in expressions such as rani temma ("I'm there"), khellih temma ("leave it there") or men temma ("from there", which also takes the meaning "then"). It belongs to the informal, everyday register. Be careful not to confuse it with thumma, a Standard Arabic conjunction meaning "then" that is written the same way in Arabic. This thumma appears mainly in religious formulas or in writing.
Example
خلّي الساك ثمّ، نجي نديه من بعد
khalli sac temma, nji nddih men ba3d
“Leave the bag there, I'll come and take it later.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “temma” but also “tamma” and “thamma”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.