ahamiya اهمية
Tunisian Derja · noun
“ahamiya” (اهمية) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning importance.
Meanings
- importance
Usage
Ahammiya is a word of Standard Arabic origin, well integrated into Tunisian. It is used mostly in the expression 3ta ahammiya l-, "to attach importance to": ma ta3tihech ahammiya, "don't pay attention to it". It belongs to a somewhat formal register and readily appears in serious discussions, the media or commentary. In casual conversation, people often prefer expressions like mouhem, "important", or ma yhemmech, "it doesn't matter".
Example
ما تعطيهاش أهمية، كلام فارغ
ma ta3tihech ahammiya, kleem fere4
“Don't pay it any attention, it's empty talk.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ahamiya” but also “ahammiya”, “ahamia” and “ahamiyya”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “ahamiya” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “importance”: ahammia in Moroccan.