karmous hendi كرموس هندي
Moroccan Darija · noun
“karmous hendi” (كرموس هندي) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning prickly pear (the fruit).
Meanings
- prickly pear (the fruit)
- prickly pear cactus
Usage
Karmous hendi means the fruit of the cactus called the prickly pear in English. It is a collective: karmous hendi is used for the fruit in general, and it is counted by the kilo or by the piece. In summer, itinerant vendors sell it in the street and peel it on the spot, because the skin is covered in fine spines. The short form l-hendiya, which is very common, is also heard. Note: karmous used alone means the ordinary fig, so don't leave out hendi when talking about the prickly pear.
Example
شريت كيلو ديال الكرموس الهندي
chrit kilo dyal l-karmous l-hendi
“I bought a kilo of prickly pears.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “karmous hendi” but also “karmouss hendi”, “kermous hendi” and “karmos hindi”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.