To shape wood by cutting thin pieces away with a knife; also means to gradually reduce something by making many small cuts or decreases.
From Old English 'thwitan' meaning 'to cut.' The 'wh-' is a remnant of Old English pronunciation. The word first described literally carving wood, then expanded metaphorically to mean gradual reduction.
Whittling connects to human creativity in a profound way—archaeologists found whittled wooden tools in Europe 100,000 years old, suggesting the human urge to shape things is nearly as old as consciousness itself.
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