# The "click" of disapproval



## Josh_

I am curious what that clicking sound (made with slightly pursed lips and often coupled with shaking the head from side to side)  used to express one's disapproval of a situation, is called in Arabic, if there is even a word for it?  

I cannot even think of what it is called in English, perhaps because it not tremendously common (although it does occur) in American culture whereas it seems to be very common in Arab culture (from what I have observed).  Since it seems to be fairly common in Arab culture, perhaps there is a word for it.

And assuming there is a word for it, what might the verb be? Or how would you express "He is constantly clicking at me" or "Don't click at me!," for example, if someone were constantly expressing their disapproval by "clicking at you" to the point of irritation?

Thanks for any help.


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## MarcB

In English it is called suck teeth.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=suck+teeth
You may not know the name because 1. I think it is less common in the US than in the past.2. It is considered rude and adults discourage  its use by children.


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## Mahaodeh

I don't know if it has a name in fus7a, but in collequal we call it chock! I would write it تشوك and the verb would be تشكتشك يتشكتشك; your examples would be يظل دايما يتشكتشكلي - لا تشكتشك، \ لا تقولّي تشوك

By the way, this sound is not always "no" although it still means no in one way or the other; sometimes it's an expression of being upset, irritated or simply unhappy with something that has happend.


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## clevermizo

Josh_ said:


> I cannot even think of what it is called in English



Well, scientifically speaking it's called a _sublaminal lower alveolar click_ or _sublaminal lower lateral click_ depending on its articulation.


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## cherine

Mahaodeh said:


> I don't know if it has a name in fus7a, but in collequal we call it chock! I would write it تشوك and the verb would be تشكتشك يتشكتشك; your examples would be يظل دايما يتشكتشكلي - لا تشكتشك، \ لا تقولّي تشوك
> 
> By the way, this sound is not always "no" although it still means no in one way or the other; sometimes it's an expression of being upset, irritated or simply unhappy with something that has happend.


 Very interesting ya Maha  It's the same thing in Egypt, except that -I think- we say تؤ to2 (the last hamza is almost stressed). 
I'm not very sure about the verb, but I think it's ta2ta2, the ت is pronounced almost as a ط . For example:
ما تطأطأش matta2ta2sh = don't say to2.



clevermizo said:


> Well, scientifically speaking it's called a _sublaminal lower alveolar click_ or _sublaminal lower lateral click_ depending on its articulation.


uh! (first reaction. I didn't even bother reading past the first two words).

Well, I guess the lateral one is that which expresses dislike, un-approval, irritation... (saying that after making the effort to try to understand this very difficult jargon.  )


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## clevermizo

cherine said:


> uh! (first reaction. I didn't even bother reading past the first two words).
> 
> Well, I guess the lateral one is that which expresses dislike, un-approval, irritation... (saying that after making the effort to try to understand this very difficult jargon.  )



Sublaminal means it involves the _underside_ of the tongue. That's where the sucking noise comes from. Lower means it is produced on the lower jaw rather than the upper jaw, near the lower teeth. And alveolar or lateral means the same thing they would normally but translated to the lower part of the mouth. The English expression "teeth sucking" is common, but there is really no teeth sucking at all.

I just performed the click a minute ago and I realized that it involves some lip pursing and clicking as well, potentially.


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## Andrew___

You people are all very amusing, contemplating these clicks of disapproval!


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## clevermizo

Andrew___ said:


> You people are all very amusing, contemplating these clicks of disapproval!



It's just as much a part of language as anything else.


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## AbdulJabbar

In Iraq, I saw a lot of people twitch their head to the right and a click, but it meant "yes" or agreement.  The click was made out of the side of the mouth, and sounded different from the sublingual whatchamacallit.


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## Josh_

Thanks to all of you for the information you provided.  This has been an interesting thread.

I thought that "ta2ta2" meant to stutter, but it makes sense that it refers to this clicking sound as it is similar to a 't' sound.


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## AndyRoo

Josh_ said:


> I cannot even think of what it is called in English.


 
I think you can also say "to tut", unless I've mistaken the sound you're describing.


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## Faylasoof

Josh_ said:


> I am curious what that clicking sound (made with slightly pursed lips and often coupled with shaking the head from side to side)  used to express one's disapproval of a situation, is called in Arabic, if there is even a word for it?



Josh,

Isn't it called إستهجان in fus7a? Perhaps more formally, صيغة إستهجان?


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## cherine

Josh_ said:


> I thought that "ta2ta2" meant to stutter


To stutter is tahtah تهته and the verb يتهته yetahteh.



Faylasoof said:


> Isn't it called إستهجان in fus7a? Perhaps more formally, صيغة إستهجان?


I think you're right ya Faylasoof, but I'm not very sure  Maybe we'll need to check a dictionary. I say this because الاستهجان is not necessarily the click made to express disapproval, but the act of disapproving itself.
P.S. istihjaan is written with a همزة وصل .


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## Faylasoof

cherine said:


> ...I think you're right ya Faylasoof, but I'm not very sure  Maybe we'll need to check a dictionary. I say this because الاستهجان is not necessarily the click made to express disapproval, but the act of disapproving itself.



Yes, we do need to look this up. I'm afraid I can't as I'm on the move! 

You are absolutley correct as الاستهجان doesn't have to have a click! Actually, I was rather unsure about putting it forward but then had a choice between this and <3abhala عبهل>, which is also not really right; means, _to disapprove_ but is really rare. Not sure if clicking is involved here either.

 Fus7a has many (quadriliteral) verbs which are very specific for certain actions, esp. the ones to do with speech and behaviour, e.g. طمطم = to stammer ; طقطق = to hit / beat the ground; خنخن = to speak thru’ the nose!  So perhaps there is a similar form for _tut-tutting_! Although it is conceivable that the ancient Arabs didn’t do any _tut-tutting_ or clicking and we have no specific verb for this!



> P.S. istihjaan is written with a همزة وصل .



Should have noted this!


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## Josh_

Faylasoof said:


> Fus7a has many (quadriliteral) verbs which are very specific for certain actions, esp. the ones to do with speech and behaviour,



It's specifically those speech and other behaviors that involve repeated action (generally the same action that is repeated successively), such as clicking and stuttering/stammering, that are represented by quadriliteral verbs in which two root letters are repeated.


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## Ghabi

AndyRoo said:


> I think you can also say "to tut", unless I've mistaken the sound you're describing.



No, it's not the tsk/tut, which would be a dental click using Clevermizo's jargon.


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## clevermizo

Ghabi said:


> No, it's not the tsk/tut, which would be a dental click using Clevermizo's jargon.



Yes. The "sucking teeth" sublaminal click is quite different from the dental or alveolar "tsk-tsk" click.


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## elroy

In Palestinian Arabic, we also say "tshuk" - and sometimes "tsu2."  The verb is "bishakshek/shakshak."

And in PA "bita2te2/ta2ta2" does mean "stutter."


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