7zem حزام
Tunisian Derja · noun
“7zem” (حزام) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning belt.
Meanings
- belt
- seat belt
- belt (outskirts, zone)
Usage
7zem refers to the belt worn at the waist. The expression 7zem el aman (seat belt) is common in driving and road-safety campaigns. One says orbot el 7zem for "fasten your belt". Figuratively, the word appears in political or economic expressions such as chedd el 7zem (to tighten one's belt, to cut spending). The plural is 7zemet. There is also the form 7zam, closer to standard Arabic. For the belly-dance belt, 7zem is also used, whereas the traditional woman's belt often has a specific name.
Example
اربط الحزام قبل ما نخرجو
orbot el 7zem 9bal ma nokhrjou
“Fasten your belt before we leave.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “7zem” but also “7zam”, “hzem”, “hzam” and “7ezem”. 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.