At first, herds of camels moving through the bush slowly, then herdsmen alternating short songs with shouts of “HeeHee-Prrr” to drive the herd.
-October 3, 1932, Trek Journal, C.A.E. Lea, A.D.C. in Dar al-Kababish
Qarqara. To rumble (stomach), to bray (camel), to coo (pigeon), to purr (cat)
-Hans Wehr, An Arabic-English Dictionary
I never heard the drovers purr or laugh at the Dabouka when keeping it in high gear after a fifteen hour day. It was always more like barking at a dog or clucking to a horse. But Lexographer Wehr and District Commissioner Lea might be in agreement on this verb, Qarqara, which takes in a whole host of relevant meanings, except perhaps for the cooing of pigeons.