jmal جمل
Tunisian Derja · noun
“jmal” (جمل) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning camel, dromedary.
Meanings
- camel, dromedary
Usage
Jmal means the camel or, more precisely, the dromedary, the only camelid found in Tunisia. It is the generic term, used for the animal in general, especially in the South, around Douz or Tozeur, and in Sahara tourism. The female is called naga. The word also appears in familiar comparisons: a heavy, patient or resentful person is called jmal, but it is not a strong insult. An English speaker may confuse this word with the first name Jamel or Jamal, which is spelled the same in Arabic letters but is vocalized differently.
Example
ركبنا على الجمل في دوز
rkebna 3al jmal fi Douz
“We rode a camel in Douz.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “jmal” but also “jmel”, “jamal” and “djmel”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “jmal” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “camel, dromedary”: jmel in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “camel, dromedary”: jmel in Algerian.