kamanja كامانجا
Moroccan Darija · noun
“kamanja” (كامانجا) is a noun in Moroccan Darija meaning violin.
Meanings
- violin
Usage
Kamanja means the violin. In Morocco, the musician often holds it upright, resting on the knee, unlike European classical playing. The instrument is central to Andalusian music (al-ala), chaâbi and popular music, as well as to wedding orchestras. The violin player is called kamanji. People say "kayl3eb lkamanja" or "kaydreb lkamanja" for "he plays the violin". It is generally pronounced kamanja, sometimes kmanja.
Example
خويا كيلعب الكامانجا ف لعراسات
khouya kayl3eb lkamanja f l3rasat
“My brother plays the violin at weddings.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “kamanja” but also “kamenja”, “kmanja”, “kamanga” and “kemenja”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Its Arabic spelling is not fixed either: you will find كامانجا and كمنجة, all the same word.