tbal طبل
Tunisian Derja · noun
“tbal” (طبل) is a noun in Tunisian Derja meaning drum.
Meanings
- drum
- festive bass drum
Usage
Tbal refers to the drum, especially the big drum used at celebrations, weddings and processions, often played along with the zokra. One says "yodhrob et-tbal" for "he beats the drum." From the same root comes the verb tabbel, which literally means to play the drum. Figuratively, it means to fawn over someone, especially a political figure. In this sense, a tabbal is someone who flatters those in power, and the term is pejorative. Note the pronunciation: in Tunisian it is tbal, with no vowel after the t.
Example
سمعت الطبل في العرس؟
sma3t et-tbal fil 3ors?
“Did you hear the drum at the wedding?”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “tbal” but also “tbel”, “tabl”, “tebal” and “tabbel”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “tbal” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “drum”: tbel in Moroccan.