The verb ʿaǰama originally meant "to mumble, and speak indistinctly", which is the opposite of ʿaraba, "to speak clearly".

Tom understood him to say, what the devil did he want; but it was not easy to make out what he said; he spoke so indistinctly.

It waggled its metal eyebrows at her and spoke indistinctly through its wrought-iron ring.

Dan spoke indistinctly, as a bullet had lately disarranged some of his teeth; but his words had a wonderful effect.

Namely, "mlech" was a word that meant "to speak indistinctly."

Ed picked a plum out of the jar with his fingers, transferred it to his mouth, and spoke indistinctly around it.

She is helped by Wim Mertens's score for piano and indistinctly speaking voices, which is as evocative as the dance itself.

Mr. Kohl often exudes a homey warmth and an endearing lack of pretentiousness, but he is also an obese man who wanders into long reminiscences and speaks indistinctly.

"Open the wardrobe," said Mrs. Flushing after a pause, speaking indistinctly because of a paint-brush in her mouth, "and look at the things."

In one recording, carried by the website of La Repubblica newspaper and made at 1.46am, Schettino speaks indistinctly, as if he was either in tears or had come close to breaking down.