Whisper
/ˈwɪs.pər/noun
To speak very softly or under one’s breath; a quiet, hushed sound or utterance.
Did you know?The word is related to a whole family of old sound-words, and its earliest forms were used for murmuring, hissing, and the eerie noises of things that move unseen.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷeys-
“to hiss, whistle, or make a whistling sound”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hwisjaną
“to whisper, hiss softly”
Old English
OE
hwisprian
“to whisper or murmur”
Middle English
ME
whisperen
“to speak softly, murmur”
Modern English
English
whisper
“to speak very softly or in a low voice”