3alem عالم
Tunisian Derja · noun
“3alem” (عالم) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning world, universe.
Meanings
- world, universe
- people (ya 3alem!)
- scholar, learned person
Usage
3alem means first of all "the world": el 3alem el kol ("the whole world"), or figuratively 3alem e-rri9adha ("the world of sport"). The call ya 3alem! ("people!") takes the public as witness, often in a tone of indignation or complaint. With a different vocalization, 3alim, the word means a scholar or a learned person. You therefore have to rely on context. The fixed expression 3alem Allah means "only God knows."
Example
ب رجوليّة درس كبير قدمته تونس ال عالم
B rjolya drs kbir kdmto Tunis l 3alm
“With courage, Tunisia gave the world a great lesson.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3alem” but also “3alam”, “3alm”, “3alim”, “alem” and “3elem”. 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 “3alem” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “world, universe”; “world, sphere ("the world of…")”: 3alam in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “world”; “God knows (rabbi 3alem)”: 3alem in Algerian.