mdhahba مذهب
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“mdhahba” (مذهب) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning gilded, gold-plated.
Meanings
- gilded, gold-plated
- doctrine, religious school (madhhab)
Usage
Read mdhahheb (feminine mdhahba), this word means "gilded", "covered in gold" or "decorated with gilding". It is used for decorative objects, tableware, jewellery or frames: "sinia mdhahba" (a gilded tray). The same spelling can also be read madhhab, a Standard Arabic noun meaning a religious doctrine or school of law. You hear it mostly in discussions about religion. Context tells the two readings apart. For the plain colour, Tunisians rather say dhahbi; mdhahheb stresses applied gilding.
Example
عندها صينية مذهّبة جابتها من عرسها
3andha sinia mdhahba jébetha mel 3erseha
“She has a gilded tray that she brought back from her wedding.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mdhahba” but also “mdhahheb”, “mdhaheb”, “mdahba” and “madhhab”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.