sem3a صمعة
Moroccan Darija · noun
“sem3a” (صمعة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning minaret.
Meanings
- minaret
Usage
The noun ṣemʿa is the usual word in Morocco for the minaret of a mosque. The plural is ṣwameʿ. It appears in the names of monuments and neighbourhoods. It features in a very well-known proverb: ṭaḥet ṣ-ṣemʿa, ʿelleqo l-ḥejjam, "the minaret fell, they hanged the barber". This proverb denounces punishing an innocent scapegoat instead of the person truly responsible. The standard word maʾdana is understood, but it is rarely heard in everyday conversation.
Example
الصمعة ديال الجامع باينة من بعيد.
sseme3a dyal jame3 bayna mn b3id.
“The mosque's minaret can be seen from afar.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “sem3a” but also “sm3a”, “sam3a”, “som3a” and “seme3a”. 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.