jamra جمرة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“jamra” (جمرة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning ember, glowing coal.
Meanings
- ember, glowing coal
- one of the three late-winter 'embers'
Usage
Jamra first means an ember, a glowing piece of coal, for example in the kanoun. The traditional Tunisian agricultural calendar also has three jamrat at the end of winter. Jamret el hwa warms the air, jamret el ma warms the water and jamret ettrab warms the soil. Together they announce the return of warm weather. These expressions remain alive, especially among the elderly and in the countryside. They also come back every year in the media. The plural is jamrat or jmar.
Example
حطّ الجمرة في الكانون باش يسخن البيت
7ott eljamra fil kanoun bech yoskhon elbit
“Put the ember in the kanoun so the room warms up.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “jamra” but also “jamraa”, “jemra” and “djamra”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.