ghmez غمز
Moroccan Darija · verb
“ghmez” (غمز) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to wink.
Meanings
- to wink
- to signal discreetly with the eye
- to press, to massage with the fingers
Usage
The verb ghmez first refers to briefly closing one eye to signal to someone, often to mark complicity, a joke, or a discreet warning. One says ghmez lih "he winked at him", with the preposition l- before the person targeted. Depending on the context, the gesture can be teasing or even flirtatious. The verb is also used for pressing the fingers on a part of the body, as in a light massage. The corresponding noun is ghemza. Present tense: kayghmez.
Example
غمز ليا باش نسكت
ghmez liya bach nskot
“He winked at me so that I'd keep quiet.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ghmez” but also “8mez”, “ghmz” and “ghmaz”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 8 is light ha (ه) or ghayn (غ), depending on the writer.