hmema حمامة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“hmema” (حمامة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning pigeon.
Meanings
- pigeon
- dove
Usage
Hmema refers to a single pigeon or a single dove. The collective is hmem, as in hmem el-bled (domestic pigeons). Some people raise pigeons on rooftops; pigeon is also eaten, stuffed or in a sauce. In poetry and song, hmema is the image of the messenger bird or the beloved, as in the refrain "ya hmema tarit". Beware of homonyms: Hamama is also a family name, borne for example by a famous Egyptian actress. The word belongs to the everyday register and is not at all slangy.
Example
فمة حمامة قاعدة على الشباك.
famma hmema 9a3da 3al chobbek.
“There's a pigeon sitting on the window.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “hmema” but also “7mema”, “hmama”, “7mama” and “hamama”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.
Type “hmema” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “pigeon”; “dove”: 7mama in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “pigeon, dove”; “term of endearment (beloved)”: hmama in Algerian.