t3am طعام
Algerian Darja · noun
“t3am” (طعام) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning couscous.
Meanings
- couscous
- food, meal
Usage
In Algeria, taâm refers above all to couscous, a dish of rolled semolina served with broth, meat and vegetables, or in a sweet version with raisins and lben. It is prepared for Fridays, holidays, weddings and births, and handed out as alms at funerals. Depending on the region, people also say seksou or kesksou. The general meaning "food", from standard Arabic, exists but remains secondary. An English speaker should therefore understand ndirou taâm as "we are making couscous", not "we are making food".
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “t3am” but also “ta3am”, “taam” and “t3aam”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 3 is ayn (ع), a voiced sound from deep in the throat with no English equivalent.