jamel جمال
Tunisian Derja · noun
“jamel” (جمال) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning beauty.
Meanings
- beauty
- male first name Jamel
Usage
Pronounced jamel, this word means beauty, often in an admiring tone or a somewhat elevated register. It is heard in compliments, songs and comments. To call something beautiful in everyday speech, Tunisians usually say mezyen or jmil. The word is also a very common male first name, written Jamel in Tunisia. In online comments it therefore often refers to a person, and context tells the two uses apart.
Example
سبحان الله على جمال البحر في طبرقة
sob7an allah 3la jamel el b7ar fi Tabarka
“Praise be to God, how beautiful the sea is in Tabarka!”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “jamel” but also “jamal”, “jmel” and “djamel”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.