Pronunciations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Ways or methods in which words or sounds are articulated or spoken; the distinct manner of producing speech sounds; variations in the spoken form of words across different regions or social groups
2. The particular sound patterns made when saying words; the specific articulation or enunciation characteristic of certain languages, dialects, or individuals; differences in how the same word is spoken in different contexts or locations
3. The manner of expressing words audibly with regard to accent, intonation, and stress; particular phonetic renditions used by speakers; regional or cultural differences in the vocal production of language units

Etymology: The word "pronunciations" is simply the plural of "pronunciation," so its story is really the story of the singular. "Pronunciation" came into Middle English from Middle French "prononciation," which in turn came from Latin "prōnūntiātiō," a noun formed from the verb "prōnūntiāre," meaning "to proclaim" or "announce." That verb was built from "prō-," meaning "for" or "forth," and "nūntiāre," meaning "to announce," the same root that gives us "announce" itself and the Latin word "nuntius," a messenger. The original sense was therefore public declaration: to pronounce something was to proclaim it aloud before others, such as a verdict or an official statement. Only later did the word narrow to the physical act of producing speech sounds, which is the sense that dominates today. The English word is a doublet of the Latin "pronuntiatio," meaning that the two forms descend from the same source but reached English by different routes.

Synonyms: articulation, enunciation, accent, utterance