kamoun الكمون
Algerian Darja · noun
“kamoun” (الكمون) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning cumin (spice).
Meanings
- cumin (spice)
- money, cash (slang)
Usage
Lkamoun is first of all cumin, a spice found everywhere in Algerian cooking: chorba, merguez, salads, sauces. In slang, the word is also used for money, like "dough". It appears in phrases such as ma 3andekch lkamoun, "you can't afford it". This use is informal and depends on context. It is best not to use it with strangers. For money, the neutral words remain drahem or sold.
Example
حطي شوية كمون في الشربة
hatti chwiya kamoun fi chorba
“Put a little cumin in the chorba.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “kamoun” but also “kemoun”, “lkamoun” and “kmoun”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.