smaym سمايم
Moroccan Darija · noun
“smaym” (سمايم) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning heatwave, scorching heat.
Meanings
- heatwave, scorching heat
- hottest period of summer
Usage
Smaym or ssmaym refers to the intense heat of summer. The word refers in particular to the traditionally hottest period of the year in the agricultural calendar, known to everyone, especially in the countryside. People say dkhlo ssmaym to announce the start of this period and speak of l'hrara d ssmaym. The word is always used with the article and in the plural. It has a traditional, popular flavour. For a simple hot day, people say sh7d or hrara (heat) instead.
Example
دخلو السمايم والحرارة طلعات بزاف
dkhlo ssmaym w l7rara tl3at bzaf
“The hottest days of summer have begun and the heat has really climbed.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “smaym” but also “ssmaym”, “smayem”, “ssmayem” and “smaim”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.