9zam قزم
Tunisian Derja · noun
“9zam” (قزم) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning dwarf, very short person.
Meanings
- dwarf, very short person
- insignificant, pathetic person (pejorative)
Usage
Qzam refers to a dwarf. In everyday conversation, the word is mostly used figuratively to put someone down: a person of no stature who thinks they are important but is not. It is common in controversies and online comments targeting public figures. The derived verb yqazzem means "to belittle, minimize someone." In the literal sense, applied to a real person of short stature, the word is hurtful. Best avoided in that case. Figuratively, it is still insulting but not vulgar.
Example
يحسب روحو كبير وهو قزم
ya7seb rou7ou kbir w howa 9zam
“He thinks he's big when he's just a dwarf.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “9zam” but also “qzam”, “gzam”, “kzam” and “9azam”. 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.