m9ammet مقمط
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“m9ammet” (مقمط) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning swaddled (baby).
Meanings
- swaddled (baby)
- tightly wrapped, bundled up
Usage
M9ammet is the participle of the verb 9ammet, "to swaddle". In its primary sense, it refers to an infant snugly wrapped in swaddling clothes, a traditional practice still mentioned in family settings. By extension, it describes a person bundled up in their clothes or blankets, often with a touch of humor. The feminine is m9amta and the plural m9amtin. The register is informal and everyday. The 9 stands for the q sound, which many Tunisians pronounce as g.
Example
البيبي مقمّط في الكوفرتة
el bébé m9ammet fil koverta
“The baby is swaddled in the blanket.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “m9ammet” but also “m9amet”, “mgammet”, “mqammet” and “m9amta”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.