7mara حمارة
Moroccan Darija · noun
“7mara” (حمارة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning female donkey.
Meanings
- female donkey
- stupid woman (insult)
Usage
7mara is the feminine of 7mar and means a female donkey, the pack animal seen in the countryside. The word is also used as an insult to call a woman stupid: it is offensive and informal, and best avoided with strangers. In its literal sense, it is neutral. In conversation, context shows whether the animal or an insult is meant. The usual plural for the animal is 7mir, which also covers males.
Example
عندو حمارة كيخدم عليها فالفيرمة
3ndo 7mara kaykhdem 3liha f l-ferma
“He has a female donkey that he works with on the farm.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7mara” but also “hmara”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.