From Middle English lispen, lipsen, wlispen, from Old English *wlispian (attested in āwlyspian (“to lisp”)), from Old English wlisp, wlips (“stammering, lisping”, adjective), from Proto-Germanic *wlispaz (“lisping”), from Proto-Indo-European *wlis-, *wleys- (“rod”), from *wel- (“to turn, roll”). Cognate with Middle Low German wlispen (“to lisp”), Dutch lispen (“to lisp”), German lispeln (“to lisp”), Danish læspe (“to lisp”), Swedish läspa (“to lisp”).
Meanings
The act or a habit of lisping.
It's common for children to speak with a lisp.
He used to have a terrible lisp before going to a speech therapist.
de Lispelei (The habit or an act of lisping.) · bg фъфлене (The habit or an act of lisping.) · es ceceo (The habit or an act of lisping.) · pt ceceio (The habit or an act of lisping.) · nl slisgeluid (The habit or an act of lisping.) · pa ਤੋਤਲਾਪਣ (The habit or an act of lisping.) · mi tehe (The habit or an act of lisping.) · fr susseyement (The habit or an act of lisping.) · sh šuškanje (The habit or an act of lisping.) · ru шепеля́вость (The habit or an act of lisping.) · sv läspning (The habit or an act of lisping.) · fr sesseyement (The habit or an act of lisping.) · uk шепеля́вість (The habit or an act of lisping.) · hu selypítés (The habit or an act of lisping.) · pl sygmatyzm (The habit or an act of lisping.) · gl ceceo (The habit or an act of lisping.) · it pronuncia blesa (The habit or an act of lisping.) · it esse moscia (The habit or an act of lisping.) · ka ჩლიფინი (The habit or an act of lisping.) · fr zozotement (The habit or an act of lisping.) · el ψευδισμός (The habit or an act of lisping.) · no lesping (The habit or an act of lisping.) · lt šveplavimas (The habit or an act of lisping.) · el ψεύδισμα (The habit or an act of lisping.) · da læspen (The habit or an act of lisping.) · cs šišlavost (The habit or an act of lisping.) · mi arero tehe (The habit or an act of lisping.) · fi ässävika (The habit or an act of lisping.) · kmr zimanfisî (The habit or an act of lisping.) · sip ལྕེ་ལྡིག (The habit or an act of lisping.) · pt sigmatismo (The habit or an act of lisping.) · sh šušljetanje (The habit or an act of lisping.) · nl slis (The habit or an act of lisping.) · ca papissot (The habit or an act of lisping.) · hi लिस्प (The habit or an act of lisping.) · ar لُثْغَة (The habit or an act of lisping.) · is smámæli (The habit or an act of lisping.) · it zeppola (The habit or an act of lisping.) · eo lispado (The habit or an act of lisping.) · vi sự nói ngọng (The habit or an act of lisping.) · cs šišlání (The habit or an act of lisping.) · fi sammallus (The habit or an act of lisping.) · ru шепеля́вение (The habit or an act of lisping.) · hu pöszeség (The habit or an act of lisping.) · pl seplenienie (The habit or an act of lisping.) · it lisca (The habit or an act of lisping.) · fr zézaiement (The habit or an act of lisping.) · kw stlavedh (The habit or an act of lisping.) · es sigmatismo (The habit or an act of lisping.)
From Middle English lispen, lipsen, wlispen, from Old English *wlispian (attested in āwlyspian (“to lisp”)), from Old English wlisp, wlips (“stammering, lisping”, adjective), from Proto-Germanic *wlispaz (“lisping”), from Proto-Indo-European *wlis-, *wleys- (“rod”), from *wel- (“to turn, roll”). Cognate with Middle Low German wlispen (“to lisp”), Dutch lispen (“to lisp”), German lispeln (“to lisp”), Danish læspe (“to lisp”), Swedish läspa (“to lisp”).
Meanings
(intransitive) To pronounce the consonant ‘s’ imperfectly; to give ‘s’ and ‘z’ the sounds of ‘th’ (/θ/, /ð/). This is a speech impediment common among children.
Until the age of 10, Dominic would lisp, but this was fixed by a speech therapist.
(intransitive) To speak with imperfect articulation; to mispronounce, such as a child learning to talk.
As yet a Child, nor yet a Fool to Fame, / I liſp'd in Numbers, for the Numbers came. 1735 January 13 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1734), [Alexander] Pope, An Epistle from Mr. Pope, to Dr. Arbuthnot, London: […] J[ohn] Wright for Lawton Gilliver […], →OCLC, page 7, lines 122–123:
(archaic, intransitive) To speak hesitatingly and with a low voice, as if afraid.
Lest when my lisping, guilty tongue should halt. 1597, Michaell [i.e., Michael] Drayton, “(please specify the chapter, poem, or subtitle)”, in Englands Heroicall Epistles, London: […] I[ames] R[oberts] for N[icholas] Ling, […], →OCLC:
(archaic, intransitive) to express by the use of simple, childlike language.
to speak unto them after their own capacity, and to lisp the words unto them , according as the babes and children of that age might sound them againagain 1848, Henry Walter, editor, Doctrinal Treatises and Introductions to Different Portions of the Holy Scriptures:
But the fashion spreads deeper and wider; the village is infected and the village green; Amelias and Claras sweep your rooms and cook your dinners, gentle Sophias milk your cows, and if you ask a pretty smiling girl at a cottage door to tell you her name, the rosy lips lisp out Caroline. 1830, Mary Russell Mitford, “Cottage Names”, in Our Village: Sketches of Rural Character and Scenery, volume IV, London: Whittaker, Treacher, & Co., […], →OCLC, page 68:
(archaic, intransitive) To speak with reserve or concealment; to utter timidly or confidentially.
"You have done well, sir," said Delwood, calmly, as he placed double the amount of Mrs. Santon's bribe in the Signor's hand; "you have done well, sir; and mark my words,—gold can never relieve a guilty conscience! Go, sir, and see that you lisp not a syllable of this to any one." 1859, Ferna Vale, Natalie; or, A Gem Among the Sea-Weeds:
nl lispenen (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · cy siarad yn floesg (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · wym šliyfa (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · nl slissen (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · eo lispi (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · fi supattaa (to speak with reserve or concealment) · ro vorbi peltic (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · hu pöszít (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · pt cecear (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · ro sâsâi (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · it biascicare (to speak with imperfect articulation) · sv läspa (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · cs šlapat si na jazyk (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · it parlare con la esse moscia (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · ga labhair go briotach (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · es balbucear (to speak hesitatingly and with a low voice) · de lispeln (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · uk шепеля́вити (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · fi supista (to speak hesitatingly and with a low voice) · lv svepstēt (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · fi sössöttää (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · bg фъфля (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · it sussurrare (to speak hesitatingly and with a low voice) · fi sammaltaa (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · de zuzeln (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · pl seplenić (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · it parlare con la lisca (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · it essere bleso (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · ru шепеля́вить (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · io zezear (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · kl seersaarpoq (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · lt švepluoti (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · fr zozoter (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · nn lespa (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · lv šļupstēt (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · ca papissotejar (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · da læspe (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · fo lespa (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · is vera smámæltur (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · fr susseyer (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · el ψευδίζω (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · vi nói ngọng (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · it parlare con la zeppola (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · ovd lespa (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · grc τραυλίζω (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · fr zézayer (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · kw stlevi (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · es cecear (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · tr peltek konuşmak (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · fi lespata (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · eo blezi (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · is vera smámælt (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · hu selypít (to speak with imperfect articulation) · es balbucear (to speak with imperfect articulation) · fi sössöttää (to speak hesitatingly and with a low voice) · bg фъфля (to speak with imperfect articulation) · fi sössöttää (to speak with imperfect articulation) · enm wlispen (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · vi nói đớt (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · nb lespe (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly) · sh fuflati (to pronounce the sibilant letter ‘s’ imperfectly)