Pronounce
/prəˈnaʊns/noun
To make the sound of a word or statement; to declare or announce formally.
Did you know?It comes from Latin *pronuntiare*, a public declaration word built from *pro-* (“forth”) and *nuntiare* (“to announce”), the same root family behind *announce* and *renounce*—all about sending words outward into the world.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*neu̯-
“to shout, call out”
Latin
Latin
nuntius
“messenger; news, report”
Latin
Latin
pronuntiare
“to declare publicly; recite aloud”
Old French
Old French
pronuncier
“to pronounce; declare”
Middle English
English
pronouncen
“to utter or declare formally”
Modern English
English
pronounce
“to make the sound of a word or statement; to declare formally”