dhlam ظلام
Tunisian Derja · noun
“dhlam” (ظلام) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning darkness, dark.
Meanings
- darkness, dark
- gloom (figurative)
Usage
Dhlam means "darkness". It is often used without an article in el dar dhlam, "the house is dark". The phrase ed-denya dhlam, "it's pitch dark", is also very common. It can be used during a power cut, for example in tfé edhaw w walla dhlam. Figuratively, it evokes sadness or a hopeless situation, especially in songs and poetry. It should not be confused with dhlem or dhulm, "injustice", which comes from the same word family. The corresponding verb is dhlam, meaning "to get dark".
Example
الضو تقص والدار ولات ظلام.
edhaw t9ass w eddar wallet dhlam.
“The power went out and the house went dark.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “dhlam” but also “dhlem” and “dlam”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.