To make a shrill trilling or chirping sound, like a bird or insect; to chirp repeatedly.
From Middle English, possibly imitative in origin, related to 'chirp.' The word likely developed from onomatopoeia—sounds that mimic what they describe—and has Germanic roots.
The word 'chirl' is a perfect example of onomatopoeia, where the word itself sounds like what it means! In Scottish dialect, it's still actively used to describe the sound of birds at dawn, making it a living connection to medieval English sound-symbolism.
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