gefluister

Gefluister is a Dutch noun that denotes the act or result of whispering, or the content whispered itself. The term is formed from the verb fluisteren with the prefix ge-, which nominalizes the action and yields a sense of “the whisper” or “the whispering.”

In everyday language, gefluister refers to speaking in a very quiet voice, typically to convey secrecy, intimacy, or discretion. It can also describe a whispered message or remark, as in het gefluister van nieuws dat niet hardop gezegd wordt. The expression is common in both spoken and written Dutch, where it carries connotations of softness, secrecy, or subtlety.

In literature and poetry, gefluister is used metaphorically to evoke subtle, elusive communication or to create atmosphere. Phrases such as het gefluister van de wind appear frequently to describe a soft, indistinct sound from nature and to suggest mood rather than literal speech.

The term is primarily a general linguistic or stylistic device in Dutch. In more technical discussions of voice and sound, the phenomenon of whispering is typically described in phonetic or linguistic terms as whispered speech, focusing on voicing and articulation differences rather than on the nominal form gefluister itself.

See also: fluisteren; gefluisterde taal; het gefluister van de wind.