ma3moul معمول
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“ma3moul” (معمول) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning made, manufactured, prepared.
Meanings
- made, manufactured, prepared
- in force, applied (rule)
- customary, usual
Usage
Ma3moul is the passive participle of the verb "to make": it describes what has been made, manufactured or prepared. The most frequent construction is ma3moul b… ("made with, made from"), for example for a dish, a cosmetic product or a handmade object. In a more administrative register, ma3moul bih means "in force, applied", for a law or a rule. The word agrees in gender and number: ma3moula in the feminine, ma3moulin in the plural. Note: it describes a result, not an action in progress. To say "it is being made", the conjugated verb is used.
Example
الكسكسي هذا معمول بالعولة متاع أمي.
el kosksi hedha ma3moul bel 3oula mta3 ommi.
“This couscous is made with my mother's prepared provisions (3oula).”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ma3moul” but also “maamoul” and “m3moul”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.