ramcha رمشة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“ramcha” (رمشة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning blink, flutter of the eyelids.
Meanings
- blink, flutter of the eyelids
- wink, signal with the eyes
Usage
Ramcha means a single movement of the eyelids: an involuntary blink or a small signal made with the eyes. It is heard mostly in the expression fi ramchet 3in, "in the blink of an eye", which stresses how fast something happens. The noun is related to the verb rmech, "to blink". In an affectionate register, one also says that a close person understands you "with a ramcha", that is, without any need to speak. Before a complement, the word takes the form ramchet. For a pointed, knowing wink, ghamza is used instead.
Example
الفلوس طاروا في رمشة عين
el flous tarou fi ramchet 3in
“The money vanished in the blink of an eye.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ramcha” but also “ramchet”, “ramsha”, “rmcha” and “ramchaa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.