chma3 شمع
Tunisian Derja · noun
“chma3” (شمع) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning wax.
Meanings
- wax
- candles (collective)
Usage
Chma3 refers to wax and, by extension, candles in general; a single candle is chem3a, and the plural is chma3at. It comes up mainly during power cuts, birthdays ("ytaffi chma3", blowing out the candles) or religious holidays and weddings where candles are lit. The word is also used for depilatory wax, though 7lewa is more common for traditional sugar paste. The noun is collective: for a single candle, use the form chem3a.
Example
الضوّ قصّ، شعّل الشمع
edhaw 9as, cha33el ech-chma3
“The power is out, light the candles.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chma3” but also “chem3”, “shma3” and “chma3a”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.