Stammer
/ˈstæm.ər/noun
To speak with involuntary pauses, repetitions, or difficulty; also, a speech pattern marked by such interruptions.
Did you know?The word is built from an old Germanic sound-symbolic root, which means its shape was probably chosen to imitate the very stop-start rhythm of the speech it describes.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*stam-
“A sound-symbolic base imitating a blocked, halting movement or utterance”
Old English
OE
stamian
“To stammer, speak with difficulty”
Middle English
ME
stammeren
“To speak hesitantly or with a speech impediment”
15th Century
English
stammer
“To utter words with repeated breaks or involuntary pauses”
Modern English
English
stammer
“To speak with involuntary pauses, repetitions, or difficulty”