n3ama نعامة
Moroccan Darija · noun
“n3ama” (نعامة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning ostrich.
Meanings
- ostrich
Usage
N3ama means an ostrich, in the singular. The collective is n3am. The word is not very frequent in everyday conversation, except in connection with zoos, farms or ostrich meat. As in English, the ostrich evokes a refusal to face reality: you can say dar bḥal n3ama, "he played the ostrich". Bayḍ n-n3ama, ostrich eggs, are also known as decorative objects. In arabizi, the 'ayn is written 3 or omitted, hence the spelling naama.
Example
النعامة ما كتطيرش ولكن كتجري بزاف
n3ama ma katṭirch walakin katjri bzzaf
“The ostrich doesn't fly, but it runs very fast.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “n3ama” but also “naama”, “na3ama” and “ne3ama”. 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.