7ajjem حجام
Tunisian Derja · noun
“7ajjem” (حجام) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning men's hairdresser, barber.
Meanings
- men's hairdresser, barber
- barbershop
Usage
7ajjem is the usual word for a men's hairdresser, the person who cuts hair and shaves beards. You say "nemchi lel 7ajjem" (I'm going to the barber) and "7anout 7ajjem" (barbershop). By shortcut, the word also refers to the shop itself. For women, the French word coiffeuse is used instead. The trade linked to this word is called l'7jema. The word is found spelled with one or two j's, since the pronunciation doubles the consonant.
Example
لازمني نمشي للحجام نقص شعري.
lazemni nemchi lel 7ajjem n9oss cha3ri.
“I have to go to the barber to get my hair cut.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7ajjem” but also “7ajem”, “hajjem”, “7ajjam” and “hajem”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.
Type “7ajjem” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “men's barber”; “cupper (bloodletting practitioner)”: 7ejjam in Moroccan.