3lama علامة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“3lama” (علامة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning sign, symbol.
Meanings
- sign, symbol
- mark
- indication, sign of what's coming
Usage
3lama means a sign, in the sense of a symbol or a gesture: 3lamet en-nasr (the victory sign), 3lamet istifhem (the question mark). The word also refers to a mark that one makes or notices on something. It can also mean an indication: "hedhi 3lama mlí7a" (that's a good sign). In the construct state, it becomes 3lamet followed by a complement. For a commercial brand, "marka" is used instead. For a school grade, one uses "3adad" or the word "note".
Example
عملي علامة بيدو باش نسكت
3malli 3lama b ido bech noskot
“He signalled to me with his hand to keep quiet.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3lama” but also “3lema”, “alama” and “3alama”. 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 “3lama” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “sign, indication”; “mark, marker”: 3alama in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “sign, mark”; “grade (school)”: 3lama in Algerian.