Meaning

noun speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords

noun a light noise, like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind

verb speak softly; in a low voice

originFrom Middle English whisperen, from Old English hwisprian (“to mutter, murmur, whisper”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwisprōn, from Proto-Germanic *hwisprōną (“to hiss, whistle, whisper”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱweys-, *ḱwey- (“to hiss, whistle, whisper”). Cognate with Dutch wisperen (“to whisper”), German wispern (“to mumble, whisper”). Related also to Danish hviske (“to whisper”), Icelandic…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0