khtem ختم
Tunisian Derja · verb
“khtem” (ختم) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to finish, complete (a reading, a cycle).
Meanings
- to finish, complete (a reading, a cycle)
- to stamp, seal
- to promulgate (official register)
Usage
The verb khtem first means "to finish, to bring to completion". It is used mostly for reading the whole Quran (khtem el Qor'an) and, more broadly, for a task or a cycle. It also means "to put a stamp on": one says khtem el wra9a for an administrative procedure. The corresponding noun, khtem, refers to the closing of a matter or to the act of promulgation, as in khtem ed-dostour, but this use belongs to the journalistic register. It should not be confused with khatem, "the ring".
Example
ولدي ختم القرآن الكل.
weldi khtem el Qor'an el kol.
“My son finished the whole Quran.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “khtem” but also “5tem”, “khtam” and “khatm”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 5 is kha (خ), like the ch in Scottish loch.