chillar

Inherited from Old Spanish chirlar, from *chislar, from Vulgar Latin *cistulāre, an alteration of Latin fistulāre (“to play the flute”), which is derived from Latin fistula (“flute”). Compare Catalan xisclar.

• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: chi‧llar

chillar (first-person singular present chillo, first-person singular preterite chillé, past participle chillado)

1. to shriek, to screech, to scream
   • 1984, “Cena recalentada”, in A Santa Compaña, performed by Golpes Bajos:

     La loca de mi madre que me chilla y no se cansa

     My crazy mother who screams at me and doesn't get tired

2. to creak
3. to sizzle, to hiss
4. (colloquial) to speak; say a word

• “chillar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

chillar

1. present indicative of chilla