zemmara زمارة
Algerian Darja · noun
“zemmara” (زمارة) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning pipe, whistle.
Meanings
- pipe, whistle
- car horn
Usage
Zemmara refers to a simple wind instrument, such as a reed pipe or a whistle, and more broadly any object that makes a shrill sound when blown into. The word belongs to the same family as the verb zemmer, "to blow an instrument, whistle, honk". Depending on context, it can also refer to a car horn. The register is casual. For the traditional festive instruments, more specific names such as gasba or ghaïta are used. Zemmara remains a general term and is often a little playful.
Example
شرالو زمارة وقعد يزمر النهار كامل
chralou zemmara w g3ed yzemmer nhar kamel
“He bought him a whistle and he blew it all day long.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “zemmara” but also “zammara”, “zemara” and “zamara”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.