Oralization

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of transforming messages from one form of communication into spoken language entails a shift to verbal expression
2. The conversion of ideas from written or non-verbal formats into a vocalized medium represents a change to oral discourse
3. The process of rendering information into a form expressed by speech

Etymology: "Oralization" is a plain formation: the verb "oralize," meaning to put something into spoken form, with the suffix "-ation" added to turn the action into a noun. The suffix "-ation," which English took over from Latin through French, is one of the most productive ways of making nouns from verbs, so the word follows a pattern shared by countless others such as "realization" and "organization." The base verb "oralize" is built on "oral," from Latin "os" (genitive "oris"), meaning "mouth." That same root sits behind "oral" in its ordinary sense of spoken rather than written, and behind "orifice," a word for an opening such as a mouth. The meaning of the noun therefore comes down to a simple idea: to take something that exists on paper or in gesture and give it a mouth, so it can be spoken aloud.

Synonyms: verbalization, speech