Hush-Hush
/ˌhʌʃˈhʌʃ/noun
Kept secret or confidential.
Did you know?English formed many reduplicated words like this for emphasis, and “hush-hush” became a classic way to mark something as secret without needing any occult origin at all.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
hyss
“an exclamation used to command silence or quiet”
Middle English
ME
hush
“to silence; be quiet”
16th Century
English
hush
“quiet, silence; also used as a verb to make quiet”
19th Century
English
hush-hush
“kept secret; confidential; concealed from public knowledge”
Modern English
English
hush-hush
“secretive, not openly discussed”