mtmalle7 متملح
Tunisian Derja · adjective
“mtmalle7” (متملح) is an adjective in Tunisian Derja meaning brazen, shameless, cheeky.
Meanings
- brazen, shameless, cheeky
- acting smart, pretentious
Usage
Mtmalleḥ describes someone who acts with nerve and without embarrassment, who thinks everything is allowed and pays no attention to others. It is used mostly to complain about a neighbor, a colleague or a boss who behaves as if he owned the place. The word is pejorative and colloquial, and is often associated with an idea of strength or impunity. It is related to the verb tmallaḥ, "to act smart, to show off". The feminine is mtmalḥa. It should not be confused with mmallaḥ, "salted", from the same root as mlaḥ, "salt".
Example
ولد جيراننا متملح برشة، يركّح كرهبتو قدّام بابنا.
wled jirenna mtmalle7 barcha, yrakka7 karhebtou 9odem bebna.
“Our neighbors' son is really shameless, he parks his car in front of our door.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “mtmalle7” but also “metmalle7”, “mtmale7”, “mitmalle7” and “mtmallah”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 7 is ha (ح), a breathy h from the throat.