vox

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈwoːks]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvɔks]^[1]

Forms

vōx f (genitive vōcis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *wōkʷs, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *wṓkʷs (“voice, speech”), a root noun of *wekʷ- (“to speak”).^[2][1] The verb vocāre “to call” was made from its oblique stem.^[2]

Cognate with Umbrian subocau (“I invoke”),^[2] and with Sanskrit वाच् (vā́c-, “voice, speech”), Avestan vāxš (“voice”) and Ancient Greek ὄψ (óps, “voice”).^[2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus onwards,^[2][3] whose girl thinks she has heard “the voice of my slave Lampadiscus”.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant the human voice, and una voce meant “with one voice, unanimously”, as in Cicero.^[4] The voice stood for a person's authority, opinion or vote, and the word also meant tone of voice, as Ennius' “I called in a coaxing voice”.^[4]

It meant any sound uttered, the sound of a word, as in Varro, words spoken, and a saying, as Cicero's “certain sayings of Epicurus”.^[4] It meant a language, as Latina voce, and in grammar a word.^[4] Medieval Latin used it in law for the right to sue or bear witness,^[5] and music theory for a note or a voice part.^[6] The phrase vox populi means “the voice of the people”.^[1] It survives as French voix, Italian voce and Spanish and Portuguese voz, and English voice came through Old French in the late 13th century.^[1][7]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it for a person's voice.^[4][3]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it for a tone of voice.^[4][3]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses una voce and speaks of the sayings of Epicurus.^[4][3]
• late 13th century – English voice is first recorded.^[7]
• late 14th century – English vocal comes from its derivative vocalis.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. The voice, una voce unanimously.^[4][8]
2. A vote, opinion; authority.^[4]
3. A tone of voice; an accent.^[4][1]
4. A sound, cry.^[4]
5. Words, an utterance; a saying.^[4][1]
6. A language.^[4]
7. (grammar) A word.^[4][1]
8. (Medieval Latin, law) The right to sue or to bear witness.^[5]
9. (music) A note; a voice part.^[6]

Word family

• convīcium
• vocābulum
• vōcālis
• vocāmen
• vōciferor
• vocō
• vōcula

Related words

• English voice
• English vocal
• English vowel

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
6. ^ a b Lexicon musicum Latinum medii aevi (1992–), Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften; online ed. Wörterbuchnetz
7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press