yemma يما
Moroccan Darija · noun
“yemma” (يما) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning mom, mother.
Meanings
- mom, mother
- a yemma: exclamation of surprise or fright
Usage
Yemma is an affectionate word for referring to or calling one's mother, very common in speech, in songs and in popular poetry. In the vocative, one says a yemma. Mmi (my mother) is also used, and among young people, mama. Since yemma already contains the idea of possession, no possessive pronoun is added to it. The exclamation a yemma! or ya yemma! expresses surprise, fear or pain, a bit like "oh my God!". The register is familiar and warm.
Example
يما، فين حطيتي الساروت؟
yemma, fin 7ttiti sarout?
“Mom, where did you put the key?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “yemma” but also “yima”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “yemma” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “mom, my mother”; “exclamation of surprise or distress”: yemma in Algerian.
In Tunisian Derja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Tunisian Derja, where it means “mom (when addressing her)”; “exclamation of surprise or pain”: yamma in Tunisian.