zmila زميلة
Tunisian Derja · noun
“zmila” (زميلة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning (female) colleague.
Meanings
- (female) colleague
- classmate, fellow (female)
Usage
Zmila is the feminine of zmil and refers to a female work colleague or a fellow student. The word is common in professional and school settings. It is also used to address someone: "ya zmila" marks polite familiarity, sometimes tinged with irony. It is often built with "mta3": "zmila mta3i" (my colleague). The plural is zmilet; for a mixed group, zmala is used. In professional contexts such as doctors or lawyers, the word corresponds to "fellow (female)".
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “zmila” but also “zamila”, “zmilla” and “zmilaa”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.