mlim مليم
Tunisian Derja · noun
“mlim” (مليم) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning millime, thousandth of a dinar.
Meanings
- millime, thousandth of a dinar
- a single penny
Usage
The mlim is the smallest subdivision of the Tunisian dinar: one dinar is worth a thousand millimes. Everyday prices are often expressed in millimes, for example "two thousand" for two dinars, which confuses newcomers. Figuratively, the word is used mainly in negative sentences to mean the smallest sum: ma 3andich wala mlim ("I don't have a penny"), ma khdhé 7atta mlim ("he didn't take a single cent"). Note: the mlyoun ("million") of conversation means a thousand dinars, counted in millimes.
Example
ما عنديش حتى مليم
ma 3andich 7atta mlim
“I don't have a single penny.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mlim” but also “millim”, “mellim” and “malim”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.