Chirking

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. Making or producing a cheerful noise that resembles chirping ; expressing oneself in a lively, joyful manner
2. Emitting a bright, twittering sound suggestive of happiness ; displaying spirited or merry behavior
3. Giving voice to high, happy sounds like birdsong ; behaving or speaking in an exuberant, uplifting way

Etymology: Before it meant cheerful noise, the root of "chirk" meant something harsh. Its ancestor in Old English, "ċearcian," meant to chatter, creak or crash, and the Middle English form "chirken" kept that rattling sense. The sound-making sense was not always pleasant; the word described any racket, not birdsong or laughter. The verb "chirk" is ultimately from Proto-West Germanic "*krakōn," meaning to make a sound or crack, which also gave English "crake" and "crack." "Chark" is a doublet of it, a word that came down the same line by a separate route and kept a related sense. "Chirking" is simply the present participle of "chirk," used here in its sense of making happy sounds, so the word has moved from harsh noise to cheerful noise over its history.

Synonyms: chirping, twittering, chattering, trilling, peeping