7ami حامي
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“7ami” (حامي) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning very hot, burning.
Meanings
- very hot, burning
- heated, tense (match, debate)
Usage
7ami means "very hot", often with the idea that you could get burned. It is said of a dish just off the fire, of ground in the sun or of a metal object. The feminine is 7amya. Figuratively, it describes a heated, even tense, match, discussion or atmosphere. The word is common and a little stronger than skhoun, which remains the basic word for "hot". The sense of "protector" (7ami el blad) comes from Standard Arabic and belongs to official speeches or the media, not to conversation.
Example
رد بالك، الطاجين مازال حامي.
redd belek, ettajine mazel 7ami.
“Careful, the tajine is still burning hot.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7ami” but also “hami”, “7amy” and “7amii”. 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.