3omra عمرة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“3omra” (عمرة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning lesser pilgrimage to Mecca.
Meanings
- lesser pilgrimage to Mecca
Usage
The word 3omra refers to the pilgrimage to Mecca that can be made at any time of the year, as opposed to the 7ajj, which takes place on a fixed date. You say "mcha lel 3omra" (he went to perform the umrah) and "3omra makboula" to wish that it be accepted when the pilgrim returns. The word often appears in blessings: "rabbi yekteblek 3omra". Watch out in Arabic script: the same spelling can also transcribe 3ammret, "she filled", for example a form. Context decides.
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “3omra” but also “omra”, “3ômra” and “umra”. 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.