siffler

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French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Inherited from Old French sifler (later orthographically influenced by souffler), from Vulgar Latin *sīfilāre, probably an Osco-Umbrian influenced variant of Latin sībilāre (compare Spanish chiflar, Friulian sivilâ). Cf. also the variant northern Old French dialectal form sufler (whence Norman sûfflier and Walloon xhufler), from a Vulgar Latin variant *sufilāre (compare Italian zufolare), as well as the dialectal subler from a form *subilāre (compare Italian sobillare, Romansch tschüblar, Romanian șuiera); in areas transitional to Franco-Provençal dialects is found the form sibler (compare also Occitan siblar, siular, Catalan xiular).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /si.fle/
  • Audio(file)

Verb[edit]

siffler

  1. (transitive, intransitive) to whistle
    Elle siffle un air bizarre.
    She's whistling a strange tune.
  2. (transitive) to whistle for, to blow on a whistle for
    L’arbitre a sifflé la mi-temps.
    The referee blew the whistle for half-time.
  3. (transitive) to boo by whistling (to show one's disapproval at something)
  4. (intransitive, of snakes) to hiss
  5. (transitive) to knock back (a drink), to down

Conjugation[edit]

Conjugation of siffler (see also Appendix:French verbs)
infinitive simple siffler
compound avoir + past participle
present participle or gerund1 simple sifflant
/si.flɑ̃/
compound ayant + past participle
past participle sifflé
/si.fle/
singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative je (j’) tu il, elle, on nous vous ils, elles
(simple
tenses) 		present siffle
/sifl/ 		siffles
/sifl/ 		siffle
/sifl/ 		sifflons
/si.flɔ̃/ 		sifflez
/si.fle/ 		sifflent
/sifl/
imperfect sifflais
/si.flɛ/ 		sifflais
/si.flɛ/ 		sifflait
/si.flɛ/ 		sifflions
/si.fli.jɔ̃/ 		siffliez
/si.fli.je/ 		sifflaient
/si.flɛ/
past historic2 sifflai
/si.fle/ 		sifflas
/si.fla/ 		siffla
/si.fla/ 		sifflâmes
/si.flam/ 		sifflâtes
/si.flat/ 		sifflèrent
/si.flɛʁ/
future sifflerai
/si.flə.ʁe/ 		siffleras
/si.flə.ʁa/ 		sifflera
/si.flə.ʁa/ 		sifflerons
/si.flə.ʁɔ̃/ 		sifflerez
/si.flə.ʁe/ 		siffleront
/si.flə.ʁɔ̃/
conditional sifflerais
/si.flə.ʁɛ/ 		sifflerais
/si.flə.ʁɛ/ 		sifflerait
/si.flə.ʁɛ/ 		sifflerions
/si.flə.ʁjɔ̃/ 		siffleriez
/si.flə.ʁje/ 		siffleraient
/si.flə.ʁɛ/
(compound
tenses) 		present perfect present indicative of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
past anterior2 past historic of avoir + past participle
future perfect future of avoir + past participle
conditional perfect conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive que je (j’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple
tenses) 		present siffle
/sifl/ 		siffles
/sifl/ 		siffle
/sifl/ 		sifflions
/si.fli.jɔ̃/ 		siffliez
/si.fli.je/ 		sifflent
/sifl/
imperfect2 sifflasse
/si.flas/ 		sifflasses
/si.flas/ 		sifflât
/si.fla/ 		sifflassions
/si.fla.sjɔ̃/ 		sifflassiez
/si.fla.sje/ 		sifflassent
/si.flas/
(compound
tenses) 		past present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
pluperfect2 imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
simple — siffle
/sifl/ 		— sifflons
/si.flɔ̃/ 		sifflez
/si.fle/ 		—
compound — simple imperative of avoir + past participle — simple imperative of avoir + past participle simple imperative of avoir + past participle —
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
  • past historic → present perfect
  • past anterior → pluperfect
  • imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive
  • pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive

(Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

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