مجدرة

North Levantine Arabic

Etymology

Literally “pockmarked”, derived from the passive participle of a denominal verb of Arabic جُدَرِيّ (judariyy, “smallpox”) — the denominal verb being either a North Levantine Arabic جَدَّر (jaddar, “to afflict with smallpox”) or an older Arabic جَدَّرَ (jaddara, “to afflict with smallpox”). Likely so named for the resemblance of lentils in rice or bulgur to the pocks of smallpox.^[1]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmʒad.da.ra/, /ˈmʒad.ra/

Noun

مْجَدَّرَة or مْجَدْرَة • (mjaddara or mjadra) f

mujaddara, a dry dish of lentils, onions, and rice or bulgur
Synonym: (Lebanon, regional) مْدَرْدَرَة (mdardara)
(Lebanon, regional) a porridge of the same ingredients

Hyponyms

مْجَدَّرَة حَمْرَا (mjaddara ḥamra, literally “red mujaddara”) (made with the onions intentionally burnt or nearly burnt)
مْجَدَّرَة صَفْرَا (mjaddara ṣafra, literally “yellow mujaddara”) (made with red lentils, which turn yellow when cooked)
مْجَدَّرَة مْصَفَّايِة (mjaddara mṣaffāye, literally “filtered mujaddara”) ~ مْجَدَّرَة مَخْبُوصَة (mjaddara maḵbūṣa, literally “mushy mujaddara”) ~ مْجَدَّرَة مَمْرُوتِة (mjaddara mamrūte, literally “mashed mujaddara”) (a more porridgy preparation)

Descendants

→ English: mejadra/majadra

References

^ أَنِيس خُورِي فْرَيْحَة [ʔanīs ḵūrī frayḥa, Anis Khuri Frayha, Anis Freiha] (1947), “مجدرة”, in مُعْجَمُ الأَلْفَاظِ العَامِّيَّةِ فِي اللَّهْجَةِ اللُّبْنَانِيَّة [muʕjamu l-ʔalfāẓi l-ʕāmmiyyati fī l-lahjati l-lubnāniyya, A dictionary of non-classical vocables in the spoken Arabic of Lebanon]‎^[1], American University of Beirut, →OCLC, page 25a: “مْجَدَّرَة (المحيط . اصل المادَّة ارتفع وطال ومنها الجدار): عدسٌ مطبوخ مع البرغل والبصل والزيت، وربما سُمِّيت هكذا لظهور حبّ العدس في الصحن كبثور الجَدْريّ. ― mjaddara (al-muḥīṭ. ʔaṣlu l-māddati rtafaʕa wa ṭāla wa minhā l-jidār): ʕadasun maṭbūḵun maʕa l-burḡuli wa l-baṣali wa z-zayt, wa rubbamā summiyat hākaḏā li ẓuhūri ḥabbi l-ʕadasi fī ṣ-ṣaḥni ka buṯūri l-jadriyy. ― mjaddara (Al-Muhit. [The root's meaning is] for the essence of a material to heighten and stretch, whence also جِدَار (jidār, “wall”)): Lentils cooked with bulgur and onions and oil, and it was perhaps named so for the appearance of the lentils in the plate as if smallpox pustules.”

[1] أَنِيس خُورِي فْرَيْحَة [ʔanīs ḵūrī frayḥa, Anis Khuri Frayha, Anis Freiha] (1947), “مجدرة”, in مُعْجَمُ الأَلْفَاظِ العَامِّيَّةِ فِي اللَّهْجَةِ اللُّبْنَانِيَّة [muʕjamu l-ʔalfāẓi l-ʕāmmiyyati fī l-lahjati l-lubnāniyya, A dictionary of non-classical vocables in the spoken Arabic of Lebanon]‎^[1], American University of Beirut, →OCLC, page 25a: “مْجَدَّرَة (المحيط . اصل المادَّة ارتفع وطال ومنها الجدار): عدسٌ مطبوخ مع البرغل والبصل والزيت، وربما سُمِّيت هكذا لظهور حبّ العدس في الصحن كبثور الجَدْريّ. ― mjaddara (al-muḥīṭ. ʔaṣlu l-māddati rtafaʕa wa ṭāla wa minhā l-jidār): ʕadasun maṭbūḵun maʕa l-burḡuli wa l-baṣali wa z-zayt, wa rubbamā summiyat hākaḏā li ẓuhūri ḥabbi l-ʕadasi fī ṣ-ṣaḥni ka buṯūri l-jadriyy. ― mjaddara (Al-Muhit. [The root's meaning is] for the essence of a material to heighten and stretch, whence also جِدَار (jidār, “wall”)): Lentils cooked with bulgur and onions and oil, and it was perhaps named so for the appearance of the lentils in the plate as if smallpox pustules.”

[1]