Editing Couscous (section)

== Etymology ==
The word "couscous" (alternately ''cuscus'' or ''kuskus'') was first noted in early 17th century French, from Arabic kuskus, from kaskasa 'to pound', and is probably of [[Berber languages|Berber]] origin.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.centrederechercheberbere.fr/tl_files/doc-pdf/couscous.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816224311/http://www.centrederechercheberbere.fr/tl_files/doc-pdf/couscous.pdf |archive-date=2011-08-16 |url-status=live|title=Couscous : sur l'étymologie du mot|last=Chaker|first=Salem|website=[[INALCO]] - [[Centre de Recherche Berbère]]}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IGQovjGKj4IC|title=Couscous, boulgour et polenta. Transformer et consommer les céréales dans le monde|last1=Chastanet|first1=Monique|last2=Franconie|first2=Hélène|last3=Sigaut|first3=François|publisher=Karthala Editions|date=March 2010|isbn=978-2-8111-3206-4|language=fr|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I15eJt6U3gMC|chapter=Couscous and Its Cousins|title=Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery, 1989: Staplefoods : Proceedings|last=Perry|first=Charles|date=1990|publisher=Oxford Symposium|isbn=978-0-907325-44-4|editor-last=Walker|editor-first=Harlan|pages=176–178|language=en|author-link=Charles Perry (food writer)|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref> The term ''seksu'' is attested in various Berber dialects such as [[Kabyle people|Kabyle]] and [[Rifians|Rifain]], while Saharan Berber dialects such as [[Tuareg people|Touareg]] and [[Ghadamès language|Ghadames]] have a slightly different form, ''keskesu.'' This widespread geographical dispersion of the term strongly suggests its local Berber origin, lending further support to its likely Berber roots as Algerian linguist [[Salem Chaker]] suggests.<ref name=":0" />

The Berber root *KS means "well formed, well rolled, rounded."<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> Numerous names and pronunciations for couscous exist around the world.<ref name="foucauld">{{cite book |last1=Foucauld |first1=Charles de |title=Dictionnaire touareg-français : dialecte de l'Ahaggar |date=1950–1952 |publisher=Impr. nationale de France |location=Paris |url=https://archive.org/details/DictionnaireTouareg-francaisDialecteDeLAhaggar |language=fr|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>{{rp|919}}