Other forms: whinnying
To whinny is to give a soft gentle neigh. The mare whinnied, a soft whinny, whinnying in the yard.
It is quieter and friendlier than a neigh, and horses use it at close range to greet each other and their people — a horse that whinnies at you has recognised you. The word is imitative and related to whine. Note nicker, which names an even softer version of the same greeting.
1verbwhinnyTo give a soft gentle neigh.
“Somewhere in the dark stable, a horse whinnied.”
whinny is a horse sound.
Middle English whynyen is imitative and related to whine. Both come from a Germanic root about high sounds.
Middle English
whynyen
English, today
whinny
From Middle English whynyen, whinien, akin to Middle English whinen (“to whine”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA