najma نجمة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“najma” (نجمة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning star.
Meanings
- star
Usage
Najma, often pronounced nejma, means a star in the sky. The usual plural is njoum. The word is also used for the shape of a star, for example on the Tunisian flag, which bears a crescent and a star (hlel w najma). The figurative sense of "celebrity" exists, especially in the plural (njoum el-fann), but it belongs more to the media register. Najma is also a common female first name in Tunisia. In arabizi, the hesitation between "a" and "e" produces several spellings.
Example
الليلة السما صافية وتشوف النجوم الكل
ellila essma safya w tchouf ennjoum lkol
“Tonight the sky is clear and you can see all the stars.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “najma” but also “nejma”, “nijma” and “najmaa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “najma” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “star”; “celebrity, star performer”: njma in Moroccan.
In Algerian Darja
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Algerian Darja, where it means “star (in the sky)”; “star (rating)”: nedjma in Algerian.