Voicelessly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner that produces no sound or utterance, or without expressing oneself through speech or vocalization
2. In a way that conveys silence or absence of vocal expression, indicating a lack of spoken communication or sound production
3. In a manner devoid of voice, signaling neither sound nor verbal expression in any form

Etymology: "Voicelessly" is a plain formation: the adjective "voiceless" with the adverbial suffix "-ly" added. The adjective itself is built from "voice" and "-less," and the pieces trace back a long way. "Voice" came into English from Anglo-Norman "voiz," which descends from Latin "vōcem," the accusative of "vōx," meaning sound or speech. "-Less" is the Old English "-lēas," meaning "without," and it has been attached to nouns to create negative adjectives for well over a thousand years. The suffix "-ly" has an equally old pedigree. It comes from Old English "-līċe," a form of the word "līc," meaning body or form, which was used to turn adjectives into adverbs describing the manner of an action. So "voicelessly" literally means "in a way that is without voice," with each element carrying its own ancient sense of form, absence, and sound.

Synonyms: silently, muteness

Antonyms: vocally, loudly