dholm ظلم
Tunisian Derja · noun
“dholm” (ظلم) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning injustice.
Meanings
- injustice
- oppression, abuse of power
Usage
The noun dholm refers to injustice suffered, the fact of being treated unfairly. It is often heard as an indignant exclamation: "hédha dholm !" (that's unfair!), about a referee's decision, a penalty or a social situation. It belongs to everyday speech, and can sound a little solemn when speaking of the oppression of those in power. Do not confuse it with dhlem or dhalma, which mean darkness and are pronounced almost the same. An unjust person is dhalem, and the verb dhlem means "to wrong, to harm someone".
Example
هذا ظلم، ما عمل حتى شي
hédha dholm, ma 3mel 7atta chay
“That's unfair, he didn't do anything.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “dholm” but also “dhoulm”, “zolm” and “dhulm”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.