3amma عمة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“3amma” (عمة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning paternal aunt, father's sister.
Meanings
- paternal aunt, father's sister
Usage
3amma refers only to the father's sister. The mother's sister is khala, and Tunisian always distinguishes the two. In the construct state the word becomes 3ammet: 3ammet Sonia, 3ammti (my aunt). Bent 3ammti means "my cousin, the daughter of my paternal aunt". A well-known proverb contrasts the two aunts: the khala is said to be "of bran", the 3amma "of flour". Out of politeness, 3amma is also used for an elderly woman one respects, with no family tie. The plural is 3ammet.
Example
عمتي جات تزورنا نهار الأحد.
3ammti jet tzourna nhar el a7ad.
“My paternal aunt came to visit us on Sunday.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3amma” but also “3ammet”, “3ammti”, “amma” and “3ama”. 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.