ghomma غمة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“ghomma” (غمة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning sorrow, deep grief.
Meanings
- sorrow, deep grief
- oppression, weight on the heart
Usage
Ghomma refers to a heavy sadness, an anguish that tightens the heart. It is used mainly in constructions such as "fi galbi ghomma" or "3andi ghomma" to say that one feels oppressed or downcast, without necessarily naming the cause. The word belongs to an expressive register, common in songs and laments. Used alone, as an exclamation, it expresses dejection or annoyance at a painful situation. It is also found in the proverb "tdoum ghomma", expressing that a hardship does not last forever.
Example
صغير و في قلبي غمّة
sghir w fi galbi ghomma
“I'm young and there's sorrow in my heart.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ghomma” but also “ghoma”, “ghomm” and “8omma”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 8 is light ha (ه) or ghayn (غ), depending on the writer.