9esma قسمة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“9esma” (قسمة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning destiny, fate, what is written.
Meanings
- destiny, fate, what is written
- sharing, distribution
- division (mathematics)
Usage
Qesma first means fate fixed in advance, especially regarding marriage. It is almost always heard in the fixed phrase "qesma w nsib" (destiny and share): a marriage that happens or doesn't happen is "qesma w nsib". People also say "hedhi qesmti" for "this is my destiny", with resignation. In its concrete sense, the word means dividing something among several people: an inheritance, a meal, a sum of money. At school, it is also division. The meaning is clear from context. Do not confuse it with "qism", which means a section or department.
Example
الزواج قسمة ونصيب، ما تقلقش روحك.
ezzawej 9esma w nsib, ma t9alla9ch rou7ek.
“Marriage is destiny, don't worry yourself.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9esma” but also “kesma”, “9isma”, “qesma” and “gesma”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.