basma بصمة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“basma” (بصمة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning fingerprint.
Meanings
- fingerprint
- imprint, personal mark
Usage
Basma comes from standard Arabic and is commonly used in Tunisia. In the concrete sense, it is the fingerprint: "basmet sbo3" (fingerprint), unlocking a phone, clocking in at work, or a police investigation. In the figurative sense, it is the mark a person leaves: "khalla basmtou" means "he left his mark". In the construct state, one says basmet, for example "basmet l3in" (iris imprint). The register is neutral, rather formal in the figurative sense. Not to be confused with the female first name Basma, which is written the same way.
Example
التليفون متاعي يتحلّ بالبصمة.
telifoun mte3i yet7al bel basma.
“My phone unlocks with my fingerprint.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “basma” but also “bsma” and “basmet”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.