Speaking
/ˈspiː.kɪŋ/noun
The act of expressing thoughts, ideas, or information through spoken words.
Did you know?The verb behind “speaking” had competing Old English forms—specan and sprecan—with the latter helping produce the modern form.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*sprekaną
“To speak or utter words; the reconstructed ancestor of the English verb.”
Old English
Old English
specan / sprecan
“To speak, talk, or converse.”
Middle English
Middle English
speken
“To speak or address someone.”
14th Century
English
speking
“The act or manner of speaking.”
Modern English
English
speaking
“The act of expressing thoughts through spoken language.”