himma همة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“himma” (همة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning drive, energy, motivation.
Meanings
- drive, energy, motivation
- ambition, zeal
Usage
Himma refers to drive, energy or the desire to do something. It is used mostly in the negative: ma 3andouch himma (he has no motivation at all), ma 3andich himma nokhrej (I don't have the heart to go out). The register is common. In a positive context, the word comes close to "ambition" or "zeal". Pitfall: the same Arabic spelling can also write homma, "them, they", a very frequent pronoun. Only context can decide between the two readings.
Example
ما عندوش همة يخدم
ma 3andouch himma yekhdem
“He has no motivation to work.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “himma” but also “hemma”, “hima” and “hamma”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.