mo3dhom معظم
Tunisian Derja · noun
“mo3dhom” (معظم) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning most, the majority.
Meanings
- most, the majority
Usage
Mo3dhom comes from Standard Arabic and belongs to a somewhat formal register. It is heard mostly in debates, on the radio or in a reasoned speech. It is placed before a definite noun: "mo3dhom ennès", "most people", or "fi mo3dhom l'a7wel", "in most cases". In everyday conversation, Tunisians more readily say akthar or aghleb: "aghleb ennès". It should not be used on its own, without a complement. The verb that follows generally agrees in the plural with the noun.
Example
معظم الطلبة يسكنو بعيد على الفاك
mo3dhom etalba yesknou b3id 3al fac
“Most students live far from the faculty.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mo3dhom” but also “mo3dham”, “mou3dhom” and “mo3zam”. 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.