wispern
German edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
17th century, from Low German wispern, chiefly displacing the above variant, from Middle High German and Middle Low German wispelen, ultimately of imitative origin (lautmalend).
The r-form could be a late alteration, but could also be old in view of Old English hwisprian, whence English whisper.
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
wispern (weak, third-person singular present wispert, past tense wisperte, past participle gewispert, auxiliary haben)
- to whisper; to make a whispering sound (most often in a mysterious or eerie way)
- „Du wirst die Wahrheit bald erfahren“, wisperte sie.
- “You will soon know the truth”, she whispered.
- Ich lief durch den dunklen Wald, wo alles zu wispern und zu rauschen schien.
- I walked through the dark forest, where everything seemed to be whispering and rustling.
Usage notes edit
- The more general word for “to whisper” (to speak without voice) is flüstern.
Conjugation edit
infinitive | wispern | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
present participle | wispernd | ||||
past participle | gewispert | ||||
auxiliary | haben | ||||
indicative | subjunctive | ||||
singular | plural | singular | plural | ||
present | ich wispre ich wispere ich wisper |
wir wispern | i | ich wispere ich wispre |
wir wispern |
du wisperst | ihr wispert | du wisperest du wisprest |
ihr wisperet ihr wispret | ||
er wispert | sie wispern | er wispere er wispre |
sie wispern | ||
preterite | ich wisperte | wir wisperten | ii | ich wisperte1 | wir wisperten1 |
du wispertest | ihr wispertet | du wispertest1 | ihr wispertet1 | ||
er wisperte | sie wisperten | er wisperte1 | sie wisperten1 | ||
imperative | wispre (du) wisper (du) wispere (du) |
wispert (ihr) |
1Rare except in very formal contexts; alternative in würde normally preferred.