Whirren

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To produce a continuous rapid humming or buzzing noise, as of something spinning quickly
2. To emit a sustained whirring sound like that of rapidly rotating machinery or wings
3. To make a prolonged whirring or droning sound similar to that of an object moving at speed through the air

Etymology: Whirren is an older spelling of "whirr," a word that sounds like what it describes. Its origin is imitative: the sound of rapid wings or spinning machinery was represented by a rolling "r" and a breathy "wh," much as "buzz" and "hiss" were formed. Its exact ancestry is uncertain, but it sits in the same sound-family as "whirl," which likewise suggests circular motion. The spelling "-en" marks it as a verb form that was once common in English, and the sense stayed close to its sound. It describes the rapid, buzzing whir of a bird taking off or a mechanism in motion, a concrete noise before it became a general word for speed or activity.