Where did the word hiss come from?

The word "hiss" has a fascinating history. It originates from the Old English word "hīsan," meaning "to make a hissing sound." This word, in turn, is thought to be onomatopoeic, meaning it imitates the sound it describes.

However, the story doesn't end there. "Hīsan" is believed to have come from Proto-Germanic *hīsōn, which itself is thought to have been derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ēis-, meaning "to whistle, to hiss."

So, the word "hiss" has its roots in a long and winding linguistic path, ultimately reflecting a sound humans have recognized and imitated for millennia.