different between speech vs dumbness

English

Alternative forms

• speach (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English speche, from Old English sp??, spr?? (“speech, discourse, language”), from Proto-Germanic *spr?kij?, *spr?k? (“speech, language”), from Proto-Indo-European *spereg-, *spreg- (“to make a sound”). Cognate with Dutch spraak (“speech”), German Sprache (“language, speech”). More at speak.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?spi?t?/
• Rhymes: -i?t?

Noun

speech (countable and uncountable, plural speeches)

1. (uncountable) The faculty of uttering articulate sounds or words; the ability to speak or to use vocalizations to communicate.
2. (countable) A session of speaking, especially a long oral message given publicly by one person.

   Synonyms: monologue, oration, soliloquy

   • 1720, Jonathan Swift, A Letter to a Young Clergyman

     The constant design of both these orators, in all their speeches, was to drive some one particular point.
3. A style of speaking.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:speech
4. (grammar) Speech reported in writing; see direct speech, reported speech
5. A dialect or language.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:language
6. Talk; mention; rumour.

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Related terms

• speak

Translations

Verb

speech (third-person singular simple present speeches, present participle speeching, simple past and past participle speeched)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To make a speech; to harangue.
   • 1711, Jonathan Swift, An Excellent New Song

     I'll speech against peace while Dismal's my name, / And be a true whig, while I'm Not-in-game.

Derived terms

• bespeech

Anagrams

• cheeps

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English speech.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spit?/

Noun

speech m (plural speechen or speeches, diminutive speechje n)

1. speech, oration (oral monologic address of some length)

   redevoering (“toespraak”)

Derived terms

• speechen

Anagrams

• scheep

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spit?/

Noun

speech m (plural speechs)

1. An informal speech

Synonyms

• allocution

English

Etymology

From Middle English dombenesse, from Old English dumbnes; equivalent to dumb +? -ness. Cognate with Old Frisian dumbnisse (“folly, dumbness”).

Noun

dumbness (usually uncountable, plural dumbnesses)

1. The state of being dumb or mute: that is, of not communicating vocally, whether from selective mutism (refusal to speak) or from an inability to speak.
   • 1944, Emily Carr, The House of All Sorts, "Sissy's Job," [1]

     He was a deaf-mute. His dumbness did not seem to matter when we were boys.

2. Muteness, silence; abstention from speech.
   • 1611 Shakespeare, William [first known show: 15 May 1611; posthumous publication: 1623], Winter's Tale, Act 5, Scene 2:

     There was speech in their dumbness.

3. Show or gesture without words; pantomime; dumb-show.
   • 1623 Shakespeare, William [posthumous publication], Timon of Athens, Act 1, Scene 1:

     To the dumbness of the gesture one might interpret.

4. (informal) The quality of being stupid or foolish.

Related terms

• dumb
• dumb-show

Translations