Whistles

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. A sharp, often high-pitched sound generated by manipulating airflow can be used for signaling, communication, or artistic expression in music
2. A sound produced by blowing air through pursed lips or devices that serves to signal others, attract attention, or create music
3. A high-pitched noise made by forcing air through a small opening can fulfill roles in signaling, garnering attention, or performing in musical contexts

Etymology: "Whistles" is simply the plural of "whistle," so the history belongs to the noun and verb it comes from. The noun descends from Middle English "whistel," which was formed from the Old English "hwistle," itself built on the verb "hwistlan," meaning to whistle. That verb traces back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to make a hissing sound," which tells you the original idea was closer to a hiss or a breathy sound than to the clean, tuned tone we now associate with the word. The same root survives across the Germanic and Slavic worlds. Swedish "vissla" still means to whistle, and Icelandic "hvísla" means to whisper, a reminder that the sibilant, breathy quality of the sound once linked the two activities. Russian "svistet'" also means to whistle, showing the root reached as far as the Slavic languages. The word's sense of a high, thin sound through the lips or a device therefore grew out of the older concept of hissing air.

Synonyms: blow, toot