garmech قرمش
Algerian Darja · verb
“garmech” (قرمش) is a verb in Algerian Darja meaning to crunch noisily.
Meanings
- to crunch noisily
- to nibble, munch
Usage
Garmech describes biting into something hard or crisp with a loud noise of the teeth. It is used for fresh bread with a hard crust, dried fruit, biscuits or chips. The participle mgarmech or mqarmech means "crunchy", for example khobz mgarmech, crusty bread. The verb is sound-oriented: it stresses the crunching noise more than the mere act of eating. The register is informal and everyday. In the present tense, one says ygarmech, "he crunches".
Example
قاعد يقرمش في الكاوكاو.
9a3ed ygarmech fel kawkaw.
“He is crunching peanuts.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “garmech” but also “qarmech”, “9armech”, “garmash” and “qarmash”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 9 is qaf (ق), a k pronounced at the back of the throat.