حمص
hummuṣ
Hummus in Arabic is حمص (hummuṣ).
حمص is also the word for chickpeas, the main ingredient, so it names both the legume and the dip.
Meaning: dip made of chickpea paste (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic it is pronounced ḥummos.
How do you pronounce it?
Say it as hummuṣ, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The word حمص might not refer to the legume at all, but rather to the city of 'Homs' in Syria. The name is thought to derive from the ancient Greek 'Emesa', which itself shares roots with the Aramaic word for 'fortress'.
- In the Arab world, حمص (hummuṣ) can refer to the dip or to the whole chickpeas served warm with cumin and lemon. To be specific about the dip, some people say مسبحا (musabbaha) or حمص بطحينة ('hummus with tahini').
Examples in context
- أريد طبق حمص.urīdu ṭabaqa ḥummus.I want a plate of hummus.
Example conversation
Nour and Ziad are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- نور Nourما رأيك في الحمص؟Ma ra'yuka fi al-hummus?What do you think of hummus?
- زياد Ziadفكرة رائعة يا نور.Fikra ra'i'a ya Nour.That is a great idea, Nour.
- نور Nourسأطلب طبق حمص كبيراً.Sa-atlubu tabaq hummus kabiran.I will order a large plate of hummus.
- زياد Ziadأنا أيضاً، شكراً لكِ.Ana aidan, shukran laki.Me too, thank you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries حمص, CC BY-SA 4.0.
