Hooting

/ˈhuːtɪŋ/ verb

Definition

Making loud, owlish sounds or shouting, often as a sign of disapproval or amusement.

Etymology

From Middle English 'hoten', imitative origin representing the sound an owl makes; related to Old Norse 'húta' (to hoot), truly onomatopoetic across languages.

Kelly Says

Hooting is nearly universal across human cultures as a sound of mockery or disapproval—we borrowed the owl's signature sound to express collective scorn, which is pretty clever.

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