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ululate

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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English

WOTD – 4 July 2006

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ululō, ululātus, of imitative origin. Cognate with Spanish aullar (“to howl”) and ulular (“to hoot”), and French ululer (“to howl”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈjuːljuleɪt/, /ˈʌljəleɪt/
  • Audio (US):(file)

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.
    Synonyms: bay, howl, wail
    • 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.
    • 2025 June 30, Andrei Popoviciu, “In Sudan, a bride and her village celebrate love in a time of war”, in The Christian Science Monitor:
      Women dance in tight circles, ululating with joy, while groups of men sit nearby watching.
  2. To produce a rapid and prolonged series of sharp noises with one's voice.

Translations

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Italian

Etymology 1

Verb

ululate

  1. inflection of ululare:
    1. second-person plural present indicative
    2. second-person plural imperative

Etymology 2

Participle

ululate f pl

  1. feminine plural of ululato

Latin

Verb

ululāte

  1. second-person plural present active imperative of ululō

Spanish

Verb

ululate

  1. second-person singular voseo imperative of ulular combined with te

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