ahouma اهوما
Tunisian Derja · particle
“ahouma” (اهوما) is a particle in Tunisian Derja meaning here they are, there they are.
Meanings
- here they are, there they are
- there you go (handing objects)
Usage
Ahouma is a Derja presentative used to point out or hand over several things or people: "here they are, there they are". It belongs to a series built on the same base: ahawa or ahouwa (here he/it is), ahiya (here she/it is), ahouma (here they are), and also ahawka. It is very often used when handing objects to someone, such as papers or keys. It is also used when announcing the arrival of people: ahouma jéw, "here they come". The word stays colloquial and spoken. Unlike French, it agrees with what it points to.
Example
وين المفاتح؟ أهوما على الطاولة.
win el mfete7? ahouma 3al tawla.
“Where are the keys? There they are, on the table.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ahouma” but also “ahoma”, “ahuma” and “ahawma”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.