Howlynge

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. An archaic spelling of a long, loud, mournful cry made by an animal such as a wolf or dog
2. A drawn-out, piercing wailing sound, often expressing grief, pain or distress
3. The sustained, eerie cry of a wolf, dog or person in anguish, rising loudly into the air

Etymology: Howlynge is a Middle English form of "howling," the present participle and verbal noun of "howl." Its roots are Germanic: "howl" comes from Old English "hulan," and the word is related to the Latin "ululare," which imitates the wailing cry, a pattern linguists call onomatopoeia. Many words for animal and grief noises were built this way, so the word sounds like what it describes. The spelling "-ynge" reflects Middle English usage, when the ending "-ing" was often written "-ynge" or "-ing" with a variety of vowels. In this form the word could serve as both an adjective, describing a sound or place, and a noun, naming the cry itself. Its long, drawn-out vowel sounds mirror the extended wail it names.