kmema كمامة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“kmema” (كمامة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning protective face mask.
Meanings
- protective face mask
- muzzle
Usage
The word kmema refers to a mask covering the nose and mouth: surgical mask, cloth mask, or protective mask at work. It became very common during epidemics, in expressions like "elbes kmema" ("wear a mask") or "kmema wa ma3a9em" ("mask and sanitizer"). The plural is kmemet. Originally, the word also referred to a muzzle put on an animal, but this sense is rarer today. Note: it does not apply to a costume or carnival mask. In the city, the French word "bavette" is also heard for a sanitary mask.
Example
ما تنساش تلبس الكمامة في الكار.
ma tensech telbes el kmema fil car.
“Don't forget to wear your mask on the bus.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “kmema” but also “kmama”, “kmeme” and “kmamet”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.