tmma3 طمّاع
Moroccan Darija · adjective
“tmma3” (طمّاع) is an adjective in Moroccan Darija meaning greedy, covetous.
Meanings
- greedy, covetous
- always wanting more
Usage
Ṭmmaε describes a person who always wants more, especially money or advantages. The feminine is ṭmmaεa and the plural ṭmmaεin. The related noun is ṭmaε (greed) and the verb is ṭmeε f (to covet, to hope to obtain). The word is pejorative and is often used as a reproach: ma tkounch ṭmmaε (don't be greedy). Applied to food, it can be translated as "gluttonous", but it keeps the idea of excess. For a simple liking for good food, people rather say kaybghi l-makla.
Example
هاد الطماع عمرو ما يقنع بشي حاجة
had t-tmma3 3emmro ma yqne3 b chi 7aja
“This greedy man is never satisfied with anything.”
Forms
| feminine | Tmma3a |
|---|---|
| plural | Tmma3in |
| feminine plural | Tmma3at |
Forms as recorded in DODa, in its spelling.
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tmma3” but also “tamma3”, “temma3” and “tma3”. 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.
Type “tmma3” on the Arabic keyboard
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “greedy, covetous”; “greedy person (as noun)”: tamma3 in Tunisian.