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basbousa

English translation: "Basbousa" has no other meaning besides the pastry that you know.

02:02 Jan 25, 2002
Arabic to English translations [Non-PRO]
Arabic term or phrase: basbousa
Basbousa is a type of Egyptian cake (also called Semolina cake), and I was hoping to find out what the name means.
Sarah White
English translation:"Basbousa" has no other meaning besides the pastry that you know.
Explanation:
"Basbousa" does not seem to have a meaning apart from the pastry with which it is identified. The phonetic quality (the three-syllable structure, the alliteration of the first two syllables, the alternation of the consonants B-S-B-S, and the vowel sounds A-OU-A) indicates exquisite, child-like attention to the aural quality of the name rather than to any semantical significance. Curiously, the sound pattern of the name evokes the geometrical shape of the pastry, and, for some us at least, its delicate taste and sensuous qualities.

Fuad

Fuad
Selected response from:

Fuad Yahya
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3"Basbousa" has no other meaning besides the pastry that you know.
Fuad Yahya
4 +1harisa هريسة
Alaa Zeineldine


  

Answers


3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
"Basbousa" has no other meaning besides the pastry that you know.


Explanation:
"Basbousa" does not seem to have a meaning apart from the pastry with which it is identified. The phonetic quality (the three-syllable structure, the alliteration of the first two syllables, the alternation of the consonants B-S-B-S, and the vowel sounds A-OU-A) indicates exquisite, child-like attention to the aural quality of the name rather than to any semantical significance. Curiously, the sound pattern of the name evokes the geometrical shape of the pastry, and, for some us at least, its delicate taste and sensuous qualities.

Fuad

Fuad

Fuad Yahya
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 2811
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mona Helal: Basbousa is Basbousa is بسبوسة
9 mins

agree  AhmedAMS: I agree with Fuad and Mona
1 hr

agree  Stephen Franke
9 hrs
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14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
harisa هريسة


Explanation:
I will fondly add to the aforementioned expert opinion on the exquisite subject of basbousa that describing a food item as "mibasbis مبسبس" is akin to the English description "crumby", as in "crumb cake".

Furthermore, in my hometown of Alexandria, basbousa is also commonly referred to as harisah. Not to be confused with its namesake, yet its antithesis from Marakesh, a rather spicy tomato paste.

It is also worth noting here the old tongue-twister:

ستي بسبستلي بسبوسة بالسمنة و العسل و السكر بس يا خسارة طلعت باسلة

I trust that this shall be of assistance:)

Alaa Zeineldine


Alaa Zeineldine
Egypt
Local time: 14:17
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 431

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Saleh Ayyub
27 days
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