choum شوم
Tunisian Derja · noun
“choum” (شوم) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning bad luck, ill omen.
Meanings
- bad luck, ill omen
- thing or person that brings bad luck
Usage
Choum refers to bad luck or an ill omen, something believed to attract misfortune. It is often used in apposition or as an attribute to describe a person or thing reputed to bring bad luck. For example, 3arqoub choum, literally "heel of bad luck", describes a person who scares luck away. The word also appears in exclamations like ya choum ! or ya leylet choum ! It is informal and tied to folk beliefs. Note: do not confuse it with 7chouma, "shame".
Example
نهار شوم من الصباح
nhar choum mel sbe7
“A day of bad luck since the morning.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “choum” but also “chom”, “shoum” and “choom”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.