chunter

English

WOTD – 13 June 2009

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈtʃʌn.tə/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃʌn.tɚ/

Verb

chunter (third-person singular simple present chunters, present participle chuntering, simple past and past participle chuntered)

1. (British, Ireland, dialect) To speak in a soft, indistinct manner, mutter.
   • 2003 June 21, J. K. Rowling [pseudonym; Joanne Rowling], Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter; 5), London: Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, page 349:

     Ron continued to chunter under his breath all the way down the street.

2. (British, Ireland, dialect) To grumble, complain.
   • 1921, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “Mandas”, in Sea and Sardinia, New York, N.Y.: Thomas Seltzer, →OCLC, page 136:

     Since she had another seat and was quite comfortable, we smiled and let her chunter.

Translations

speak in a soft, indistinct manner, mutter

• Czech: mrmlat
• Italian: sussurrare (it), bisbigliare (it)
• Serbo-Croatian: мумлати

grumble, complain

• Czech: mrmlat
• French: se plaindre (fr)
• Italian: borbottare (it), brontolare (it)

References

• “D. H. Lawrence gave a new lease on life to the verb to chunter, ‘to mutter, complain’, labelled “Obs. exc. dial”, when he used it in Sea and Sardinia (1921)’,” Languages in Contact and Contrast: Essays in Contact Linguistics, by Vladimir Ivir, Damir Kalogjera, page 411 (b.g.c link)