Skip to content

The word for today is…

whinge (verb):

: to complain fretfully : whine

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : One of the strengths of the English language is the nuance it exhibits when called upon to supply words for every possible kind of whining and complaining. We English users vent, we lament, we fuss and grouse. We also have a tendency to whinge. Contrary to appearances, whinge is etymologically distinct from whine. The latter traces to an Old English verb, hwinan, meaning “to hum or whir like a speeding object (such as an arrow) through the air.” When hwinan became whine in Middle English, it meant “to wail distressfully”; whine didn’t acquire its “complain” sense until the 16th century. Whinge, on the other hand, comes from a different Old English verb, hwinsian, meaning “to wail or moan discontentedly.” Whinge retains that original sense today, though nowadays it puts less emphasis on the sound of the complaining and more on the discontentment behind all the whinging and moaning.

If you enjoyed this BFD word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children.

Latest

Cartoon: Christopher Luxon and a bald Chris Hipkins tug over a single comb in a parliamentary lobby while David Seymour leans on a pillar, arms folded, smirking.

Reality Wants Its Money Back

David Seymour has called the government’s path to surplus “heroic”, four days before National shows its fiscal plan. When the junior partner says that about your books, believe him.

Members Public