smid السميد
Algerian Darja · noun
“smid” (السميد) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning durum wheat semolina.
Meanings
- durum wheat semolina
- semolina as a staple food
Usage
Essmid means durum wheat semolina, a staple of Algerian cooking: couscous, flatbreads, msemmen, cakes. Coarse, medium and fine semolina are commonly distinguished depending on the preparation. The word is almost always used with the article (essmid). It also comes up often in conversations about prices, shortages and queues outside shops, along with oil and milk. Note: in darja, essmid is not flour, which is rather called farina. Couscous grains that have already been rolled should not be confused with raw semolina either.
Example
روحي جيبيلي كيلو سميد رقيق للكسرة
rou7i jibili kilo smid r9i9 lel kesra
“Go get me a kilo of fine semolina for the kesra.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “smid” but also “essmid”, “esmid”, “smide” and “elssmeed”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.