Whistle
/ˈwɪsəl/noun
To produce a high, clear sound by forcing air through a small opening; also, a device that makes that sound.
Did you know?Whistle belongs to an old Germanic sound-family tied to hissing air, and its earliest history is basically the story of breath turning into signal, warning, and magic-like command.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weis-
“to blow, hiss, or move with a rushing sound”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hwistlōn / *hwistlō-
“to whistle, hiss”
Old English
OE
hwistlian
“to whistle or make a hissing sound”
Middle English
ME
whistlen
“to whistle, chirp, or emit a sharp sound”
Modern English
English
whistle
“to produce a high, clear sound by forcing air through a small opening”