siffler

Inherited from Old French sifler (later orthographically influenced by souffler), from Vulgar Latin *sīfilāre, probably an Osco-Umbrian influenced variant of Latin sībilāre (compare Spanish chiflar, Friulian sivilâ). Cf. also the variant northern Old French dialectal form sufler (whence Norman sûfflier and Walloon xhufler), from a Vulgar Latin variant *sufilāre (compare Italian zufolare), as well as the dialectal subler from a form *subilāre (compare Italian sobillare, Romansch tschüblar, Romanian șuiera); in areas transitional to Franco-Provençal dialects is found the form sibler (compare also Occitan siblar, siular, Catalan xiular).

• IPA^(key): /si.fle/

• Audio:

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siffler

1. (transitive, intransitive) to whistle

   Elle siffle un air bizarre.

   She's whistling a strange tune.

2. (transitive) to whistle for, to blow on a whistle for

   L’arbitre a sifflé la mi-temps.

   The referee blew the whistle for half-time.

3. (transitive) to boo by whistling (to show one's disapproval at something)
4. (intransitive, of snakes) to hiss
5. (transitive) to knock back (a drink), to down

• avoir les oreilles qui sifflent
• persiffler, persifler
• sifflable
• sifflade
• sifflage
• sifflant
• sifflante
• sifflée
• siffleur
• siffleux

• sifflement
• sifflet

• “siffler”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.