farine de maïs
The English phrase "corn meal" is translated into French as farine de maïs.
Farine de maïs refers to maize that has been coarsely ground and is used as a food ingredient. In French, the word for 'flour' (farine) is used even when referring to the coarser 'meal' texture in English.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of farine (flour) and de maïs (of corn).
Which one should you use?
Farine de maïs is the general term for corn flour or meal. In contrast, semoule de maïs specifically refers to a coarser, more granular texture similar to polenta.
Did you know?
- The word maïs is a linguistic traveler from the Caribbean. It was borrowed from the Spanish word maíz, which itself originated from the Taíno word mahís used by indigenous people.
- Corn was not a native crop in France, so the language adopted a foreign word for maïs instead of adapting an existing Latin root.
- The Latin root farīna originally referred to a specific type of ground meal made from emmer wheat.
Examples in context
- Vous devriez essayer cette délicieuse recette de gâteau de maïs avec de la farine de maïsYou should try this delicious cornmeal cake recipe using corn meal
- Je cherche de la farine de maïs au supermarché.I am looking for corn meal at the supermarket.
- La farine de maïs est un ingrédient essentiel ici.Corn meal is an essential ingredient here.
- Ajoutez une tasse de farine de maïs à la pâte.Add one cup of corn meal to the dough.
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are discussing a recipe in the kitchen.
- HugoEst-ce qu'il nous reste de la farine de maïs ?Do we have any corn meal left?
- LéaNon, je dois aller en acheter, Hugo.No, I have to go buy some, Hugo.
- HugoPeux-tu en prendre un paquet pour la recette ?Can you get a bag for the recipe?
- LéaD'accord, je m'en occupe tout de suite.Okay, I will take care of it right away.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, farine, maïs, CC BY-SA 4.0.
