Ululation
A high trilling cry made by women to express joy, in the Middle East and Africa.
Also: zaghrouta, zagharit
Ululation is a long, high-pitched trill made by moving the tongue rapidly from side to side while vocalising. Women use it to express joy at weddings, births, festivals and victories across the Arab world, Africa and parts of South Asia, and in some places also to express grief at funerals. In Egypt it is called zaghrouta, in Ethiopia and Eritrea lelta, and among the Zulu it greets the bride. It is not a sound that is easily written, but when many women do it together it is unmistakable. A wedding procession without it would seem silent, and it travels far in the open air.
Region: North Africa