achnahouma اشنهومة
Tunisian Derja · pronoun
“achnahouma” (اشنهومة) is a pronoun in Tunisian Derja meaning what are they? (plural).
Meanings
- what are they? (plural)
- what are those?
Usage
This is the plural form of the interrogative "achnahouwa", made up of "ach" (what) and "nahouma" (them). It is used to ask what several things are, or what designated people are worth, sometimes with a nuance of surprise or contempt. The common, more neutral equivalent is "chnouma". It must agree correctly: it is not used for a single object. The register is informal and spoken. It is often followed by "hedhom" (these).
Example
آشنهومة هاذم الكراتن اللي في الدار؟
achnahouma hedhom el karaten elli fel dar?
“What are these boxes in the house?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “achnahouma” but also “achnahoma” and “achnhoma”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.