Etymology: Buzz

"Buzz" can be a noun, a verb, or an imitation of a sound (onomatopoeic). According to the Oxford English Dictionary, "buzz" first appeared in lat Middle English in that onomatopoeic sense. That sound quality - that "low, continuous humming or murmuring sound" - also came to represent an "atmosphere of excitement." Now, when we say buzz we may be asking, "What's the buzz?" Or in other words, "what's all the excitement about?" It's interesting to me that, over time, a word signifying a sound can come to indicate a feeling.