Where does “hinterherpfeifen” come from?

hinterherpfeifen (German) comes from German pfeifen, from Middle High German pfīfen, from Old High German phīfōn, from Latin pipo — I pip, peep.

hinterherpfeifen (German): to whistle at, to wolf whistle, to catcall

Definitions

  1. to whistle at, to wolf whistle, to catcall

Ancestry of “hinterherpfeifen”, step by step

hinterherpfeifen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German pfeifen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanpfeifento whistle; to act as referee; to be uninterested...
2Middle High Germanpfīfen—
3Old High Germanphīfōn—
4LatinpipoI pip, peep

via German hinterher

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanhinterherbehind
Every word from Latin pipo →Every word from Old High German phīfōn →Every word from Middle High German pfīfen →