Susurrus
/suˈsʊr.əs/noun
A whispering, rustling, or murmuring sound.
Did you know?The word is an onomatopoeic Latin formation, and poets used it for soft, secretive sounds so often that it became one of the language’s most haunting sound-symbol words.
Etymological Timeline
Latin poetic formation
Latin
susurrus
“a whispering, murmuring, or rustling sound”
Classical Latin
Latin
susurrāre
“to whisper, murmur, or rustle softly”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*swes- / *sus-
“imitative sound base associated with hissing or whispering”
Middle English
English
susurren / susurration
“to murmur or whisper softly; a whispering sound”
Modern English
English
susurrus
“a whispering or rustling sound”
Explore more surprising origins