In Darija, məskin* (for a man) or məskina (for a woman) means "poor." It can be used to mean "without money," as in Ana məskina, "I'm poor." But it can also be used much in the same way we would use "poor baby" in English (pobrecito/a in Spanish). Much like the English phrase "poor baby," məskin(a) can be used as a declaration of true pity, a term of playful mockery, or a term of endearment. Really, I think it can be used for all three purposes at once.
My friend LW told me that her maid Amina refers to me as məskina (as in, "I saw the məskina at the souk yesterday") because Amina has this idea that I, poor thing, can't eat anything. I can see where she would get this idea. I think that, when LW has asked Amina to cook a meal to which I have been invited, she has instructed Amina to leave out meat, eggs, and Knorr (pronounced "kənor"; that's what Moroccans call all bouillon, a much-relied-upon ingredient in a suprisingly large percentage of Moroccan cooking).
And, lest you doubt LW's claim that Amina's name for me is məskina, I can say that it is, indeed, what she calls me in person as well as in my absence.
Ana məskina, apparently.
*I'm using pseudo-phonetic spelling here.
I think that zaftig women are prized in traditional Moroccan culture. Indeed I have this Moroccan cookbook featuring a local woman who would be considered not pleasantly plump but morbidly obese ( 300+ lb?). She is smilingly displaying a gigantic dish of couscous which was presumably her proud culinary achievement. I presume Amina thinks of you as this "poor little" person who cannot (or will not) eat well and voraciously.
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