zeghret زغرت
Moroccan Darija · verb
“zeghret” (زغرت) is a verb in Moroccan Darija meaning to ululate.
Meanings
- to ululate
Usage
Zeghret means to ululate, that is, to let out the shrill, trilling cries made mostly by women at weddings, engagements, births or any good news. It is used in the past (zeghret, zeghrtat) or the imperfective (kat-zeghret). There is no one-word equivalent in French, hence the translation by a phrase. It is heard in expressions like zeghrtu l3yalat, "the women ululated". The verb is neutral and common. It keeps a connotation of joy and celebration.
Example
ملي دخلات العروسة، العيالات زغرتو
melli dkhlat l3roussa, l3yalat zeghrtu
“When the bride came in, the women ululated.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “zeghret” but also “zaghret”, “zghert” and “zghrt”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.