Present participle of toot; making short, sharp sounds, especially with a horn or wind instrument.
Imitative word, possibly from Middle Low German tuten. The word mimics the actual sound it describes, making it a perfect example of onomatopoeia.
When someone is 'tooting their own horn', they're metaphorically making noise to announce their achievements - just like town criers or heralds used actual horns to get attention for important announcements. It's fascinating how sound symbolism works across cultures!
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