Meanings
plural alfaias
- A Brazilian drum with a membrane made of animal skin.
And there was the band’s centerpiece and glory, the interlocking rhythm of a trap-set drummer, a percussionist, and three standing drummers playing the alfaia, the large wooden drum from the African-derived, northeastern Brazilian song-and-dance tradition of maracatu.
2015 August 3, Ben Ratliff, “Review: Nação Zumbi Returns to Central Park SummerStage”, in New York Times
Origin
- Arabicالحَاجَة“necessary thing; valuable thing”
- Portuguesealfaia
- Englishalfaia
From Portuguese alfaia, a borrowing of Arabic الحَاجَة (al-ḥāja, “necessary thing; valuable thing”).
More words from Portuguese, Arabic
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
alfaia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alfaia
“alfaia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alfaia. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alfaia,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alfaia.
Source: alfaia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.