It's Mary and Webster's word of the day for January 17th.

Today's word is W-H-I-N-N-T-E-N-T-E-N-T-E-N-T-E-T-E-N-T-E-H-I-N-G-E. Winge is a verb. It's used especially in British English to mean

to complain fretfully. Here's the word used in a sentence from the independent of Britain by Harry Mount.

In his customary forthright manner, Prince Philip wanted to do much more than winge about the environment.

In 1970, he told the conference on world pollution, it's totally useless for a lot of well-meaning

people to ring their hands in conference

and to point out the dangers of pollution or the destruction of the countryside

if no one is willing or capable of taking any action.

One of the strengths of the English language is the nuance it exhibits when called upon to supply

words for every possible kind of whining and complaining.

We English users vent, we lament, we fuss and grouse and kvech.

We also, especially those of us across the pond, have a tendency to Winge.

Contrary to appearances, Winge is etymologically distinct from the word wine,

W-H-I-M-E. The latter traces to an old English verb meaning to hum or were like a speeding object

such as an arrow through the air. When that word became wine in Middle English, it meant to wail distressfully.

Wine didn't acquire its complain meaning until the 16th century.

Winge, on the other hand, comes from a different old English verb,

meaning to wail or moan discontentedly.

Winge retains that original sense today, though nowadays it puts less emphasis on the sound

of the complaining and more on the discontentment behind all the winging and moaning.

With your word of the day,'m Peter Sakamoski.

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