lamma لمة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“lamma” (لمة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning gathering, get-together (family, friends).
Meanings
- gathering, get-together (family, friends)
- togetherness, conviviality
Usage
Lamma refers to a gathering of loved ones, especially a family together around a meal or a celebration. The word carries strong emotional weight: people speak of "lammet l3ayla" (the family gathering) or "lammet ramdhan" (the ftour gathering during Ramadan). It evokes warmth and conviviality more than a formal meeting; for a work meeting, ijtimé3 is used instead. It is often heard in advertising and in good wishes. The consonant m is doubled, hence spellings such as lamma or lemma. Do not confuse this word with lama, a first name or an animal.
Example
لمة العايلة في رمضان ما كيفها شي
lammet l3ayla fi ramdhan ma kifha chay
“Nothing beats the family gathering during Ramadan.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “lamma” but also “lemma”, “lama” and “lamaa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “lamma” on the Arabic keyboard
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “family or friends gathering”; “warm feeling of being together”: lemma in Algerian.