Recitation
/ˌrɛsɪˈteɪʃən/noun
The act of saying something aloud from memory or reading it aloud.
Did you know?In classical education, recitation was a powerful memory ritual: students publicly summoned texts, laws, prayers, and poetry through spoken performance.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱei̯ə-
“To set in motion or move; a proposed root connected with later words for calling or putting into motion”
Classical Latin
Latin
ciēre
“To move, stir, summon, or call forth”
Classical Latin
Latin
citāre
“To call, summon, or cause to move; the frequentative form related to ciēre”
Classical Latin
Latin
recitāre
“To read aloud or repeat from memory, literally to call back”
Medieval Latin
Latin
recitātiō
“A reading aloud or formal repetition”
15th Century
English
recitation
“The act of repeating or delivering something aloud”
Modern English
English
recitation
“Spoken repetition, especially from memory or before an audience”
Explore more surprising origins