The product and medium of verbal communication. The process of speech generation is handled by well defined brain structures, in Broca's area; however the product, and interpretation of the results of speaking are anything but defined. Linguists carry on bravely into the breech.

KANJI: GO GYO kata (speech, tell, language, talk, word)

ASCII Art Representation:

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Character Etymology:

The radical on the left if the radical meaning words. In an older version of this character, the radical at left used to be two reels (see five) which expressed the idea of, being equal or, being well matched; this connotation eventually led to this characters use as the first person pronoun as, one who is a preson just like anyone else.

However before the first person pronoun meaning was adopted this character originally meant to match someone verbally, i.e. in an argument or similar, but it later came to mean to speak well and then just speech/talk/tell in general.

A Listing of All On-Yomi and Kun-Yomi Readings:

on-yomi: GO GYO
kun-yomi: kata(ru) kata(rau)

English Definitions:

1. GO: word, speech, language, term.
2. GYO, kata(ru): talk, tell, narrate, recite.
3. kata(rau): talk, chat; pledge one's troth; invite, entive; win; consipre with.
4. kata(rai): talk, chat; lover's vow.
5. kata(ri): narrative (in the noh); reciter.
6. -go: (technical) term; language.

Character Index Numbers:

New Nelson: 5628
Henshall: 112

Unicode Encoded Version:

語

Unicode Encoded Compound Examples:

語り手 (kata(ri)te):
語学 (gogaku): the study of language, languistics.
日本語 (nihongo): Japanese language.
中国語 (chuugokugo): Chinese language.

 

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Speech (?), n. [OE. speche, AS. spc, spr, fr. specan, sprecan, to speak; akin to D. spraak speech, OHG. sprahha, G. sprache, Sw. sprk, Dan. sprog. See Speak.]

1.

The faculty of uttering articulate sounds or words; the faculty of expressing thoughts by words or articulate sounds; the power of speaking.

There is none comparable to the variety of instructive expressions by speech, wherewith man alone is endowed for the communication of his thoughts. Holder.

2.

he act of speaking; that which is spoken; words, as expressing ideas; language; conversation.

Speech is voice modulated by the throat, tongue, lips, etc., the modulation being accomplished by changing the form of the cavity of the mouth and nose through the action of muscles which move their walls.

O goode God! how gentle and how kind Ye seemed by your speech and your visage The day that maked was our marriage. Chaucer.

The acts of God . . . to human ears Can nort without process of speech be told. Milton.

3.

A particular language, as distinct from others; a tongue; a dialect.

People of a strange speech and of an hard language. Ezek. iii. 6.

4.

Talk; mention; common saying.

The duke . . . did of me demand What was the speech among the Londoners Concerning the French journey. Shak.

5.

formal discourse in public; oration; harangue.

The constant design of these orators, in all their speeches, was to drive some one particular point. Swift.

6.

ny declaration of thoughts.

I. with leave of speech implored, . . . replied. Milton.

Syn. Harangue; language; address; oration. See Harangue, and Language.

 

© Webster 1913.

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Speech, v. i. & t.

To make a speech; to harangue.

[R.]

 

© Webster 1913.