dhemma ذمة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“dhemma” (ذمة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning conscience, moral integrity.
Meanings
- conscience, moral integrity
- deceased (God rest him)
- at the disposal of
Usage
Dhemma first means moral conscience and honesty. Ma 3andouch dhemma means "he has no scruples", and wled dhemma refers to an upright person. Fi dhemmet allah is a polite way to speak of a deceased person, like "the late" or "may he rest in peace". In legal and journalistic language, 3la dhemmet means "at the disposal of", for example a person placed under the responsibility of an authority. The register ranges from everyday to formal. The word is often written with th or z online, which can make searching harder.
Example
هاك الراجل ما عندوش ذمة، يسرق الناس.
hak erajel ma 3andouch dhemma, yesra9 ennes.
“That man has no scruples, he steals from people.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “dhemma” but also “dhimma” and “zemma”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.