ghargher غرغر
Tunisian Derja · verb
“ghargher” (غرغر) is a verb in Tunisian Derja meaning to gargle.
Meanings
- to gargle
- to gurgle, make a throat sound
Usage
Ghargher primarily means rinsing the throat with a liquid, making it bubble, for example with salted water when you have a sore throat. One says ghargher b'el ma ("to gargle with water"). The word also evokes any throat or gurgling liquid sound. It is an everyday verb with no particular connotation. It conjugates normally: ngharghor, yghargher. The phrase ghargher ya ghrab, found in songs, is a poetic address to the crow. The primary meaning remains gargling.
Example
غرغر بالماء والملح باش يبرالك حلقك
ghargher bel ma wel mel7 bech yebrelek 7al9ek
“Gargle with salt water to soothe your throat.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ghargher” but also “8ar8ar” and “gharghar”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Digits stand in for Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 8 is light ha (ه) or ghayn (غ), depending on the writer.