ululate

English

WOTD - 4 July 2006    

Etymology

Latin ululāre (“to howl”), of imitative origin.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈjuːljuleɪt/, /ˈʊljəleɪt/

• Audio (US)

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Verb

ululate (third-person singular simple present ululates, present participle ululating, simple past and past participle ululated)

1. to howl loudly or prolongedly in lamentation or joy
   • 1915, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Valley of Fear

     Should I ever marry, Watson, I should hope to inspire my wife with some feeling which would prevent her from being walked off by a housekeeper when my corpse was lying within a few yards of her. It was badly stage-managed; for even the rawest investigators must be struck by the absence of the usual feminine ululation.

2. to produce a rapid and prolonged series of sharp noises with one's voice.

Synonyms

• (to howl): bay, howl, wail

Translations

to howl loudly

Catalan: ulular (ca), udolar (ca) Korean: 울다 (ulda), 울부짖다 (ulbujitda), 우짖다 (ujitda)

Kurdish: nalîn (ku) Spanish: ulular (es)

Related terms

• ululant
• ululation

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Italian

Verb

ululate

1. second-person plural present indicative of ululare
2. second-person plural imperative of ululare
3. Feminine plural of ululato

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Latin

Verb

ululāte

1. first-person plural present active imperative of ululō