darbouka دربوكة

Tunisian Derja · noun

“darbouka” (دربوكة) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning darbouka, goblet drum.

Meanings

1. darbouka, goblet drum

Usage

The darbouka is the goblet-shaped drum held under the arm and played with the fingers. It accompanies celebrations, weddings, the henna night and popular music. The word appears in expressions about festive atmosphere: la 7enna la darbouka, "neither henna nor darbouka", describes a union without a celebration or an affair without fanfare. It is also used as a nickname, sometimes mockingly. The player is called darboukji. The usual plural is darabek. In French, both spellings darbouka and derbouka occur.

Example

How to write it in Latin letters

In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “darbouka” but also “derbouka”, “darbuka” and “dorbouka”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.

Type “darbouka” on the Arabic keyboard

In Algerian Darja

The same word also exists in Algerian Darja, written الدربوكة, where it means “darbuka, goblet-shaped drum”; “partying, entertainment (figurative, pejorative)”: derbouka in Algerian.