chiba شيبة
Moroccan Darija · noun
“chiba” (شيبة) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning wormwood (herb for tea).
Meanings
- wormwood (herb for tea)
Usage
Chiba is wormwood (absinthe), a bitter herb added to mint tea, especially in winter. It replaces the mint or is added to it, hence the expression atay b ch-chiba ("tea with wormwood"). It is sold fresh or dried by herb sellers, and is credited with warming properties. It is generally used with the article: ch-chiba. Pitfall for an English speaker: it refers to the dried or fresh plant, never the liqueur. The word is everyday and neutral.
Example
دير شوية ديال الشيبة فأتاي، راه البرد
dir chwiya dyal ch-chiba f atay, rah l-berd
“Put a little wormwood in the tea, it's cold.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “chiba” but also “shiba” and “cheeba”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.