Translation
to murmur, to mutter
Word origin
From Latin murmurare, an imitative word: the syllable is the sound. Nearly every European language has kept a form of it, which is why the root needed no adaptation to be international.
- Origin
- Latin
- Root
- murmurare
- English cognates
- murmur, murmuration
Examples
, .
The old man murmured something, but nobody heard him.
.
The river murmurs among the stones.
.
She murmured a few words and left.
The line between and flustri is about the voice, not the volume. Whispering is voiceless: is what you do when you take the vocal cords out of speech altogether, and it is aimed at somebody who is meant to hear. Murmuring keeps the voice and blurs the words, and it is often aimed at nobody in particular. That is why also covers grumbling under the breath, the sense English gives to "mutter", while never does.
It works for things that are not people, and it does so more comfortably than the English verb. A river, wind in leaves, a crowd at the back of a hall: all of them . Esperanto poetry uses it constantly for water, and murmuro is a set phrase.
Grammatically it can take an object or go without one. is complete on its own; respondon adds what was murmured, in the accusative. To say who it was aimed at, use : , she murmured to herself. The noun of the ongoing sound is o; a single instance is murmuro.
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murmuri: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Esperanto word "murmuri" (to murmur, to mutter): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 37.