different between word vs sound

English

Alternative forms

• vurd (Bermuda)
• worde (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /w??d/
• (General American) enPR: wûrd, IPA^(key): /w?d/
• Rhymes: -??(?)d
• Homophone: whirred (accents with the wine-whine merger)

Etymology 1

From Middle English word, from Old English word, from Proto-West Germanic *word, from Proto-Germanic *wurd?, from Proto-Indo-European *wr?d?h?om. Doublet of verb.

Noun

word (countable and uncountable, plural words)

1. The smallest unit of language that has a particular meaning and can be expressed by itself; the smallest discrete, meaningful unit of language. (contrast morpheme.)

   1. The smallest discrete unit of spoken language with a particular meaning, composed of one or more phonemes and one or more morphemes
   2. The smallest discrete unit of written language with a particular meaning, composed of one or more letters or symbols and one or more morphemes
      • , act 2, scene 2:

        Polonius: What do you read, my lord?

        Hamlet: Words, words, words.
   3. A discrete, meaningful unit of language approved by an authority or native speaker (compare non-word).
2. Something like such a unit of language:
   1. A sequence of letters, characters, or sounds, considered as a discrete entity, though it does not necessarily belong to a language or have a meaning
   2. (telegraphy) A unit of text equivalent to five characters and one space. [from 19th c.]
   4. (computing) A fixed-size group of bits handled as a unit by a machine and which can be stored in or retrieved from a typical register (so that it has the same size as such a register). [from 20th c.]
   5. (computer science) A finite string that is not a command or operator. [from 20th or 21st c.]
   6. (group theory) A group element, expressed as a product of group elements.
3. The fact or act of speaking, as opposed to taking action. [from 9th c].
4. (now rare outside certain phrases) Something that someone said; a comment, utterance; speech. [from 10th c.]
   • 1611, Bible, Authorized Version, Matthew XXVI.75:

     And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
5. (obsolete outside certain phrases) A watchword or rallying cry, a verbal signal (even when consisting of multiple words).

6. (obsolete) A proverb or motto.
8. News; tidings (used without an article). [from 10th c.]

   • Word had gone round during the day that old Major, the prize Middle White boar, had had a strange dream on the previous night and wished to communicate it to the other animals.

9. An order; a request or instruction; an expression of will. [from 10th c.]

10. A promise; an oath or guarantee. [from 10th c.]

    Synonym: promise

11. A brief discussion or conversation. [from 15th c.]

12. (in the plural) See words.

13. (theology, sometimes Word) Communication from God; the message of the Christian gospel; the Bible, Scripture. [from 10th c.]

    Synonyms: word of God, Bible

14. (theology, sometimes Word) Logos, Christ. [from 8th c.]
    • 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, John I:

      And that worde was made flesshe, and dwelt amonge vs, and we sawe the glory off yt, as the glory off the only begotten sonne off the father, which worde was full of grace, and verite.

    Synonyms: God, Logos

Usage notes

In English and other languages with a tradition of space-delimited writing, it is customary to treat "word" as referring to any sequence of characters delimited by spaces. However, this is not applicable to languages such as Chinese and Japanese, which are normally written without spaces, or to languages such as Vietnamese, which are written with spaces delimiting syllables.

In computing, the size (length) of a word, while being fixed in a particular machine or processor family design, can be different in different designs, for many reasons. See Word (computer architecture) for a full explanation.

Synonyms

• vocable; see also Thesaurus:word

Derived terms

Descendants

• Chinese Pidgin English: word, ????

Translations

Verb

word (third-person singular simple present words, present participle wording, simple past and past participle worded)

1. (transitive) To say or write (something) using particular words; to phrase (something).

   Synonyms: express, phrase, put into words, state

2. (transitive, obsolete) To flatter with words, to cajole.
3. (transitive) To ply or overpower with words.
4. (transitive, rare) To conjure with a word.
   • c. 1645–1715, Robert South, Sermon on Psalm XXXIX. 9:

     Against him [...] who could word heaven and earth out of nothing, and can when he pleases word them into nothing again.
5. (intransitive, archaic) To speak, to use words; to converse, to discourse.

Derived terms

Translations

Interjection

word

1. (slang, African-American Vernacular) Truth, indeed, that is the truth! The shortened form of the statement "My word is my bond."

2. (slang, emphatic, stereotypically, African-American Vernacular) An abbreviated form of word up; a statement of the acknowledgment of fact with a hint of nonchalant approval.

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:word.

See also

• allomorph
• compound word
• grapheme
• idiomatic
• lexeme
• listeme
• morpheme
• orthographic
• phrase
• set phrase
• syllable
• term

Etymology 2

Variant of worth (“to become, turn into, grow, get”), from Middle English worthen, from Old English weorþan (“to turn into, become, grow”), from Proto-Germanic *werþan? (“to turn, turn into, become”). More at worth § Verb.

Verb

word

1. Alternative form of worth (“to become”).

Further reading

• word on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• drow

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch worden, from Middle Dutch werden, from Old Dutch werthan, from Proto-Germanic *werþan?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /v?rt/

Verb

word (present word, present participle wordende, past participle geword)

1. to become; to get (to change one’s state)

2. Forms the present passive voice when followed by a past participle

Usage notes

• The verb has an archaic preterite werd: Die kat werd gevoer. (“The cat was fed.”) In contemporary Afrikaans the perfect is used instead: Die kat is gevoer.

Chinese Pidgin English

Alternative forms

• ???? (Chinese characters)

Etymology

From English word.

Noun

word

1. word

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??rt/
• Rhymes: -?rt

Verb

word

1. first-person singular present indicative of worden
2. imperative of worden

Middle English

Alternative forms

• wurd, weord, vord, woord, wourd, worde

Etymology

From Old English word, from Proto-West Germanic *word, from Proto-Germanic *wurd?, from Proto-Indo-European *werd?h?om. Doublet of verbe.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wurd/, /w?rd/, /w??rd/

Noun

word (plural wordes or (Early ME) word)

1. A word (separable, discrete linguistic unit)

2. A statement; a linguistic unit said or written by someone:
   1. A speech; a formal statement.
   2. A byword or maxim; a short expression of truth.
   3. A promise; an oath or guarantee.
   4. A motto; a expression associated with a person or people.
   5. A piece of news (often warning or recommending)
   6. An order or directive; something necessary.
   7. A religious precept, stricture, or belief.
3. Discourse; the exchange of statements.
4. The act of speaking (especially as opposed to action)
5. The basic, non-figurative reading of something.
6. The way one speaks (especially with modifying adjective)
7. (theology) The Logos (Jesus Christ)
8. (rare) The linguistic faculty as a whole.

Related terms

• bodeword
• byword
• hereword
• mysword
• wacche word
• worden
• wordy
• wytword

Descendants

• English: word
• Scots: wird, wourd

References

• “w??rd, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 27 February 2020.

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /word/, [wor?d]

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *word, from Proto-Germanic *wurd?.

Noun

word n (nominative plural word)

1. word
2. speech, utterance, statement
3. (grammar) verb
4. news, information, rumour
5. command, request

Declension

Derived terms

Descendants

• Middle English: word, wurd, weord
  • Scots: word, wourd
  • English: word

Etymology 2

Unknown. Perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wr?d?os (“sweetbriar”).

Noun

word ?

1. thornbush

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *word, from Proto-Germanic *wurd?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /w?rd/

Noun

word n

1. word

Declension

English

Alternative forms

• soune, sownd, sowne (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /sa?nd/
• Rhymes: -a?nd

Etymology 1

From Middle English sound, sund, isund, ?esund, from Old English sund, ?esund (“sound, safe, whole, uninjured, healthy, prosperous”), from Proto-Germanic *gasundaz, *sundaz (“healthy”), from Proto-Indo-European *sunt-, *swent- (“vigorous, active, healthy”).

Cognate with Scots sound, soun (“healthy, sound”), Saterland Frisian suund, gesuund (“healthy”), West Frisian sûn (“healthy”), Dutch gezond (“healthy, sound”), Low German sund, gesund (“healthy”), German gesund (“healthy, sound”), Danish sund (“healthy”), Swedish sund (“sound, healthy”). Related also to Dutch gezwind (“fast, quick”), German geschwind (“fast, quick”), Old English sw?þ (“strong, mighty, powerful, active, severe, violent”). See swith.

Adjective

sound (comparative sounder, superlative soundest)

1. Healthy.
2. Complete, solid, or secure.
3. (mathematics, logic) Having the property of soundness.

   Hypernym: valid
4. (Britain, slang) Good; acceptable; decent.

5. (of sleep) Quiet and deep.

6. Heavy; laid on with force.

7. Founded in law; legal; valid; not defective.

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

sound (comparative more sound, superlative most sound)

1. Soundly.

Interjection

sound

1. (Britain, slang) Yes; used to show agreement or understanding, generally without much enthusiasm.

Etymology 2

• Noun: from Middle English sownde, alteration of sowne, borrowed from Anglo-Norman sun, soun, Old French son, from accusative of Latin sonus.
• Verb: from Middle English sownden, sounen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman suner, sounder, Old French soner (modern sonner), from Latin son?.
• The hypercorrect -d appears in the fifteenth century.

Displaced native Middle English swei, from Old English sw??.

Noun

sound (countable and uncountable, plural sounds)

1. A sensation perceived by the ear caused by the vibration of air or some other medium.
2. A vibration capable of causing such sensations.
   • It was April 22, 1831, and a young man was walking down Whitehall in the direction of Parliament Street. […]. He halted opposite the Privy Gardens, and, with his face turned skywards, listened until the sound of the Tower guns smote again on the ear and dispelled his doubts.

3. (music) A distinctive style and sonority of a particular musician, orchestra etc
4. Noise without meaning; empty noise.
5. Earshot, distance within which a certain noise may be heard.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:sound

Descendants

• ? Japanese: ???? (saundo)

Translations

See also

• audible

Verb

sound (third-person singular simple present sounds, present participle sounding, simple past and past participle sounded)

1. (intransitive) To produce a sound.

2. (copulative) To convey an impression by one's sound.
3. (intransitive) To be conveyed in sound; to be spread or published; to convey intelligence by sound.
4. (intransitive, obsolete) To resound.
5. (intransitive, law, often with in) To arise or to be recognizable as arising in or from a particular area of law, or as likely to result in a particular kind of legal remedy.

6. (transitive) To cause to produce a sound.

7. (transitive, phonetics, of a vowel or consonant) To pronounce.

Synonyms

• (to make noise): echo, reecho, resonate
• See also Thesaurus:sound

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 3

From Middle English sound, sund, from Old English sund (“the power, capacity, or act of swimming; swimming; sea; ocean; water; sound; strait; channel”), from Proto-Germanic *sund? (“swimming; sound”), from Proto-Indo-European *swem- (“swimming; sea”). Cognate with Dutch sond (“sound; strait”), Danish sund (“sound; strait; channel”), Swedish sund (“sound; strait; channel”), Icelandic sund (“sound; strait; channel”). Related to swim.

Noun

sound (plural sounds)

1. (geography) A long narrow inlet, or a strait between the mainland and an island; also, a strait connecting two seas, or connecting a sea or lake with the ocean.

   • The Sound of Denmarke, where ships pay toll.

2. The air bladder of a fish.

3. A cuttlefish.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Ainsworth to this entry?)

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 4

From Middle English sounden, from Old French sonder, from sonde (“sounding line”) of Germanic origin, compare Old English sundgyrd (“a sounding rod”), sundline (“a sounding line”), Old English sund (“water, sea”). More at Etymology 3 above.

Verb

sound (third-person singular simple present sounds, present participle sounding, simple past and past participle sounded)

1. (intransitive) Dive downwards, used of a whale.

2. To ascertain, or try to ascertain, the thoughts, motives, and purposes of (a person); to examine; to try; to test; to probe.

   When I sounded him, he appeared to favor the proposed deal.

   • 1665, John Dryden, The Indian Emperour

     I was in jest, / And by that offer meant to sound your breast.

   • I've sounded my Numidians man by man.

3. Test; ascertain the depth of water with a sounding line or other device.

4. (medicine) To examine with the instrument called a sound or sonde, or by auscultation or percussion.

Translations

Noun

sound (plural sounds)

1. A long, thin probe for sounding or dilating body cavities or canals such as the urethra; a sonde.

Translations

References

• sound at OneLook Dictionary Search
• sound in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• nodus, udons, undos

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from English sound.

Noun

sound m (invariable)

1. (music) sound (distinctive style and sonority)