sound etymology

Etymology

• From Middle English sound, from Old English sund, from Proto-Germanic sunðaz, *sunþuz, from Proto-Indo-European *swen- (“to sound, make a noise, ring, resound”).
• Cognate with Dutch zoend, German Sünde, Icelandic synd, Faroese synd, Swedish synd, Danish synd, Norwegian synd, Old High German suntā (“sin, crime, wrong”), Ancient Greek ἁμαρτάνω (hamartánō, “to err, miss the mark, sin”), Latin sons (“sound, noise, echo”), Russian звук (zvuk, “sound, noise”).

Meaning

1. The sensation produced in the organs of hearing by the vibrations of a body, and transmitted to the brain through the auditory nerve.
2. Any noise or tone.
3. The impression produced on the ear by a musical instrument or a voice.
4. The quality of a tone, as determined by its pitch, loudness, and timbre.
5. A particular tone or note.
6. The distance within which a signal can be heard, especially in the sea.
7. The depth at which the bottom of the sea can be measured by soundings.
8. A probe used in surgery or dentistry to explore a wound or cavity.

Origin

The word sound is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root swen-, which means "to sound, make a noise, ring, resound." This root is also found in the words *son and sonic.

The word sound first entered the English language in the 13th century. It was originally used to refer to the sensation of hearing, but it has since taken on a broader meaning to include any noise or tone.

sound relate terms

• sound

  Etymology From Middle English sound from Old English sund from Proto Germanic sunðaz

• gender

  Etymology The word gender derives from the Latin word genus which means kind or t

• thunder

  Etymology The word thunder comes from the Old English word þunor which is derived f

• spindle

  Etymology The word spindle comes from the Old English word spindel which in turn der

• kindred

  Etymology Old English cynnræden Proto Germanic kunja raðjaz Meaning Family

• strand

  Etymology The English word strand has Germanic origins and is related to the Proto Germ

• runnel

  Etymology Old English rinnel stream brook Middle English rinell Modern English runne

• swoon

  Etymology Middle English swonen from Old English swōgan meaning to sigh sound roa

• powder

  Etymology The word powder originates from the Old French word poudre which itself de

• meddle

  Etymology Middle English medelen from Old English medeltōn from Proto Germanic m

• tender

  Etymology The word tender comes from the Old French verb tendre meaning to stretch

• remainder

  Etymology The word remainder derives from the Latin word remaneō which means to r

• riband

  Etymology Old French riban Late Latin ribanus Possibly from Medieval Latin ribandum

• jaundice

  Etymology The word jaundice is derived from the Old French word jaune meaning yell

• spider

  Etymology The word spider originates from the Middle English spither c 1200 deri

• lender

  Etymology Middle English lendere from Old Norse lendari from lenda loan Germanic

• gesundheit

  Etymology From Middle High German gesuntheit from Old High German gisundī from Proto

• sound

  Etymology From Middle English sound from Old English sund from Proto Germanic sunðaz

• safe

  Etymology The word safe originates from the Latin word salvus meaning whole unh

• swim

  Etymology The word swim originates from the Old English word swymman which is deriv

• astound

  Etymology Old French astoneer estonner Late Latin extonare to thunder out astound

• consonant

  Etymology The word consonant derives from the Latin word consonans which means sou

• consonant

  Etymology The word consonant derives from the Latin word consonans which means sou

• unison

  Etymology From Middle English unison from Old French unison from Latin unisonus from

• measure

  Etymology Measure derives from Old French mesure which ultimately originated from th

• gurgle

  Etymology and Origin The word gurgle comes from the Proto Indo European root gher o

• babble

  Etymology The word babble is derived from the following sources Old English babel