khamsin

English

Alternative forms

• chamsin, hamsin, khamseen, khamaseen, kamsin, kamseen

Etymology

From Egyptian Arabic خَمْسِين (ḵamsīn, “fifty”); see khamaseen for more.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkæm.sɪn/, /kæmˈsin/

Noun

khamsin (plural khamsins)

1. A hot, dry wind, common in Egypt, Sudan and the Levant towards the end of March and April, which blows (for about 50 days each year) from the desert, bringing with it hot weather and sand / sandstorms.
   • 1957, Lawrence Durrell, Justine, Faber, published 1968, page 121:

     That second spring the khamseen was worse than I have ever known it before or since.

Synonyms

• khamaseen

Translations

a hot wind in Egypt

Arabic: خَمْسِين m (ḵamsīn) Coptic: ⲑⲟⲩⲣⲏⲥ m (thourēs) Esperanto: ĥamsino German: (please verify) Chamsin (de) Hindi: ख़मसीन m (xamsīn) Persian: خمسین (xamsin) Turkish: hamsin (tr)

French

Alternative forms

• chamsin

Pronunciation

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

khamsin m (plural khamsins)

1. khamsin

Further reading

• “khamsin”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.