whine

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English whynen, hwinen, whinen, from Old English hwīnan (“to rush, to whizz, to squeal, to whine”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwīnan, from Proto-Germanic *hwīnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwey- (“to hiss, whistle, whisper”). Cognate with Old Norse hvína, whence Icelandic hvína, Norwegian Nynorsk kvina, Swedish vina, and Danish hvine. Despite the strong similarity in sound and meaning, not related with German weinen, Dutch wenen, from Proto-Germanic *wainōną (for which see dialectal English ween (“to weep, lament”)). === Pronunciation === (Western) (wine–whine merger) IPA(key): /ˈwaɪ̯n/, [ˈwaɪ̯n] (without the wine–whine merger) IPA(key): /ˈʍaɪ̯n/, [ˈʍaɪ̯n]; /ˈw̥aɪ̯n/, [ˈw̥aɪ̯n] Homophone: wine (wine–whine merger) (South Asia) IPA(key): /ʋ(h)ajn/ Homophones: wine, vine (without aspiration) Rhymes: -aɪn Hyphenation: whine === Noun === whine (plural whines) A long-drawn, high-pitched complaining cry or sound. A peevish or self-pitying complaint or criticism. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === whine (third-person singular simple present whines, present participle whining, simple past and past participle whined) (intransitive) To utter a high-pitched cry. (intransitive) To make a sound resembling such a cry. (intransitive) To complain or protest with a whine (compare whinge) or as if with a whine, i.e. in a peevish or self-pitying way. 1936 Feb. 15, Ernest Hemingway, letter to Maxwell Perkins: Feel awfully about Scott... I always knew he couldn't think—he never could—but he had a marvelous talent and the thing is to use it—not whine in public. (intransitive) To move with a whining sound. (transitive) To utter with the sound of a whine. ==== Usage notes ==== The homophony of whine and whining with wine and wining for many speakers is sometimes a point of humor, as with would you like some cheese with your /waɪn/? or if you're going to be whining then I need to be wining. ==== Conjugation ==== ==== Synonyms ==== See also Thesaurus:complain ==== Derived terms ==== whining Willy ==== Translations ==== == Middle English == === Verb === whine alternative form of whynen