Middle English Dictionary Entry

voice n.
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Entry Info

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
(a) The voice of a human being, centaur, etc.; a voice; also, vocal sound; a vocal sound or a sound made in speaking; in (with) o ~, in unison; in ~, aloud; soun (of) ~; (b) the voice of an incorporeal being, esp. God;—also coll.; also, a vocal characteristic of an angel’s voice; (c) the sound or tonal pattern characteristic of and distinctive to an individual voice; also, a characteristic manner of speaking; (d) a particular tone, quality, intonation, etc. of the voice; also, a particular type of voice;—used with qualifying adjectives or genitive constructions; (e) the vocal sound characteristic of particular forms of speech, esp. prayer; also, an inarticulate vocal sound associated with shouting, weeping, etc.: a cry, sob, etc.; (f) fig. one who expresses or reveals something; an advocate; also, an inner voice; also, a medium for the expression of an obligation, a wish, etc.;—also used of a person [quot. a1425].
2.
(a) The sound or noise of thunder, battle, a river, horn, etc.; a sound or noise; also, a thunderclap; a trumpet signal; on heigh ~, ?loudly; ?at a high pitch; (b) clamor; din; also, cacophony [last quot.]; such a sound or noise; ~ of peple, the din of a crowd, crowd noise; with grete ~, loudly; (c) the sound made in vocalizing a word; also, the sound of a vowel; (d) musical sound, instrumental or vocal music; the sound produced by a particular instrument; a musical sound, a melody or song; (e) a musical tone or note, usu. sung;—also coll.; also, a vocal pitch; ~ breking, breking of ~, broken ~, the trilling or modulation of sung notes; in ~, in vocal pitch; (f) the characteristic sound uttered by an animal or a bird, the call or cry of an animal or a bird; also, the voice or analogous faculty of an animal or a bird;—also coll.; also, a bird’s song.
3.
That which is expressed vocally: (a) a prayer; a petition; also, the sound or words of prayer; (b) a word; a phrase, statement; also, a message; also, doctrine; (c) a reputation, renown; commune (vulgare) ~, gossip, rumor, report; (d) an expression of will or desire, esp. of God; also, a command; also, an opinion; commune ~, popular sentiment, the will of the people; also, general opinion; (e) at o ~, al) with on (o) ~, bi ~ in commune, bi on ~, with a hole ~, with commune ~, with ~ hole (al hole), unanimously, as one [occas. difficult to distinguish from phrases in sense 1.(a)].
4.
(a) Acclamation; a formal expression of preference or choice in an election; a single vote; ~ of the lond, popular acclamation; (b) the right to choose, express an opinion, or vote; the deciding voice [quot. ?a1400(a1338)]; also, influence, importance, power; also, ?supremacy in a struggle [quot. a1400(c1303)]; after ~, at (their own) discretion.
5.
(a) The physical ability to speak; also, the power of speech; (b) the human voice as the result of physiological processes; also in the title of a medical treatise [quot. ?c1425, 2nd occurrence]; instrument of the ~.
6.
Gram. (a) One of the inflectional categories in the conjugation of the verb, a grammatical voice; also, one of the inflectional categories in the declension of a noun; also, an inflection [quot. c1450 Peniarth Accedence(1)]; actif ~; passif ~; (b) a grammatical utterance; imparfit (unparfit) ~, a grammatically incomplete utterance.
7.
(a) Language; a language, tongue; ~ of contree, contree ~, native language, mother tongue; bi ~ of, in the language of (a country); (b) meaning, interpretation, intelligibility; (c) in on ~, unequivocal; of even (on) ~, susceptible of multiple interpretations, equivocal.
8.
?Error for weies, pl. of wei n.(1).

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. instrument of the voice.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. instrument of voice.