vocalizev.
/ˈvəʊkəlʌɪz/, /ˈvəʊkl̩ʌɪz/, U.S. /ˈvoʊkəˌlaɪz/ I. To utter with the voice, and related senses.
1.
a.
(a) transitive. To produce or utter (a sound, word, etc.) with the voice.For use referring specifically to singing, see sense 3.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > voice or vocal sound > [verb (transitive)] > utter
leadOE
givec1175
tell?c1225
talkc1275
to set upa1325
to put outc1350
soundc1374
to give upc1386
pronouncea1393
cough1393
moutha1400
profera1400
forth withc1400
utterc1400
to put forth1535
display1580
vent1602
accent1603
respeak1604
vocalize1669
fetch1707
go1836
outen1951
1669 W. Holder Elem. Speech 30 It is one thing to Breath, or give an Impulse to breath alone; another thing, to vocalize that breath, i.e. in its passage through the Larynx to give it the sound of Humane Voyce.
1673 R. Leigh Transproser Rehears'd 119 Every breath of moving air may continue articulate, especially if vocaliz'd in Sir S. Moreland's trumpet.
1783 F. Green Vox Oculis Subjecta 67 Those, who are void of hearing, learn (or are taught) to vocalize and articulate their breath, by feeling and seeing, instead of by the other sense.
1867 A. M. Bell Visible Speech: Sci. Universal Alphabetics 91 A faithful copy of the native pronunciation which readers in all countries will vocalize alike.
1899 T. C. Allbutt et al. Syst. Med. VII. 65 A similar inability to control the tongue can be demonstrated by making the patient vocalise r.
1967 Arch. Neurol. (Chicago) 16 151/1 All six children could vocalize two different sounds.
2009 Spokesman Rev. (Spokane, Washington) (Nexis) 22 Oct. c1 When did it become socially acceptable to vocalize a loud ‘unnhhhh’ when getting in or out of chairs in waiting rooms?
(b) intransitive. To produce or utter sounds, words, etc., with the voice. Now usually of an animal (cf. vocalization n. 4).
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > voice or vocal sound > to sound (of voice or utterance) [verb (intransitive)] > utter sound
soundc1340
rear1591
breathe1602
phonate1878
vocalize1887
1887 Science 2 Dec. 272/1 It is because the ear educates the vocal mechanism that deaf persons become mute, not because their vocal organs are not correctly formed. This fact makes it possible to teach the deaf to vocalize.
1909 Lyceumite & Talent Apr. 31/1 A young man with a voice like that of Richmond Pearson Hobson..vocalized loudly at the door of his depot milk-wagon.
1922 H. B. Smith Chained Eagle (new ed.) iii. 26 The Fat Peasant and the Stout Woman are in a wrangle while their respective live stock vocalize loudly.
1972 Sci. Amer. Aug. 29/1 The female mallard generally vocalizes at the rate of from zero to four calls per one-minute interval.
2013 D. J. Fairbairn Odd Couples ii. 21 Female birds..often have subdued coloration, seldom vocalize, and tend to remain hidden when eggs or chicks are present.
b. transitive. To express in words or speech; to articulate.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > speech > speak, say, or utter [verb (transitive)] > give expression to
sayOE
talkc1275
soundc1386
outc1390
shedc1420
utterc1445
conveya1568
discharge1586
vent1602
dicta1605
frame1608
voice1612
pass?1614
language1628
ventilate1637
to give venta1640
vend1657
clothe1671
to take out1692
to give mouth to1825
verbalize1840
to let out1853
vocalize1872
1872 Harper's Bazar 17 Feb. 130/4 Prudence and her mother were shelling pease on the little veranda..and they were vocalizing their thoughts freely at the same time.
1931 Financial Times 26 May 1/7 This vocalises a thought that is running through the minds of many men at the present day.
1985 Globe & Mail (Canada) (Nexis) 9 Apr. The time has come to vocalize our dissatisfaction in support of those within our country who will leave the most meaningful legacy of all—our artists.
2009 Ottumwa (Iowa) Courier (Nexis) 8 Apr. We're sure those in charge of the meeting strived to keep it civilized. They didn't want people standing up and loudly vocalizing their viewpoints.
2. transitive. Phonetics. To produce or utter (a sound or letter, esp. a consonant) with vibration of the vocal cords; to convert from voiceless to voiced.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > voiced or voiceless sound gen > [verb (transitive)] > voice
vocalize1700
medialize1861
voice1871
intonate1875
1700 J. Jones Myst. Opium Reveal'd i. 7 But the sound of b is more like that of v, because the sound of both are vocalized, which that of p (as has been said) is not.
1836 B. H. Smart Walker Remodelled p. xxx s is always vocalized, that is, pronounced as z, when, in forming the plural of a noun..it can be so pronounced.
1848 Proc. Philol. Soc. 3 169 If we were asked why the Cochin-Chinese vocalized the p, it would be difficult to give any other reason than that some languages are distinguished..by the softness of their pronunciation.
1915 Volta Rev. 17 316/2 As most children naturally vocalize every sound, the teacher will have in mind the necessity of getting pure aspirates.
1989 C. Jones Hist. Eng. Phonol. iii. 186 Compare too..the process whereby syllable final voiceless obstruents are ‘vocalized’ in those circumstances where the items in question undergo morphological accretion.
3. Music.
a. intransitive. To sing; (sometimes) spec. to sing using vowel sounds, often with several notes to one vowel and typically as an exercise or warm-up.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > music > performing music > singing > sing [verb (intransitive)]
singc825
chantc1405
carpc1425
relesch1513
deliver1530
record1590
strain1602
cherubim1748
vocalize1782
nightingalize1799
sing-song1828
outsing1877
society > leisure > the arts > music > performing music > singing > sing [verb (intransitive)] > articulate vowels > to more than one note
vocalize1782
1782 C. Burney Gen. Hist. Music II. ii. 105 To syllabize in quick passages is little more than to speak, but to vocalize is to sing.
1879 H. James Daisy Miller I. ii. 69 The young lady, who was still strolling along in front of them, softly vocalising.
1910 Etude June 414 I suggest that the pupil be asked to vocalize on a monotone of medium pitch.
1956 Times 27 June 11/5 Those were the days when we had a few voices, but only a few, able to vocalize in what the late Mr. Richard Capell used to call the ‘Royal Manner’.
1990 M. Baxter Rock-n-roll Singer's Survival Man. 155 You're ready to move on when there is little effort needed to vocalize through your entire range.
2007 Straits Times (Singapore) (Nexis) 18 July I would vocalise (practise singing on the vowel sounds) regularly, get lots of sleep regularly, and drink a lot of water.
b. transitive. To sing (a song, melody, note, etc.); (sometimes) spec. to sing (a vocal exercise, etc.) using vowel sounds.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > music > performing music > singing > sing [verb (transitive)]
singc825
leadOE
galea1000
record1483
chant1566
modulate?1567
carol?1578
strain1589
relish1592
lyrica1704
vocalize1782
lip1789
flute1842
1782 R. Jephson Tour to Celbridge in Hibernian Mag. Nov. 554/1 Our small company had vocalized all the songs in the opera in such a manner as I never heard them executed upon any theatre in London.
1851 E. FitzGerald Lett. (1889) I. 213 How would you like to see me..scoring up semibreves on a staff for half a dozen Rustics to vocalize?
1860 W. Woodman Singing at Sight made Easy 458 To remedy this defect the following short Exercise may be vocalised, taking care to enunciate every note distinctly.
1976 Gramophone Sept. 403/2 He prefers to play through the piano score at the keyboard, as far as possible vocalizing the cello line.
2012 Hobart Mercury (Austral.) (Nexis) 23 Feb. (Bravo section) 40 The quartet will be joined by Elly Hoyt, who will vocalise the melody lines on some of the album tracks.
4. transitive. To provide with a voice; to make vocal or articulate. Now somewhat rare.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > speech > speak, say, or utter [verb (transitive)] > provide with power of speech
tongue1807
vocalize1858
1858 in W. Irving Let. 16 Aug. (1982) IV. 659 In this way by turns, you vocalize the whole Union and make the growing chorus of the revolution rise from every part of it.
1872 J. A. Symonds Introd. Study Dante 226 It was not merely the painting of his age that Dante absorbed into himself and vocalized.
2005 Herald (Glasgow) (Nexis) 11 Mar. He is still involved and concerned with the direction of our country, as I think..half of all Americans are. He's trying to vocalise those people.
II. To make into a vowel, and related senses.Some senses in branch I. have also developed specific uses in reference to vowels, probably by association with vocal adj. 9.
5. transitive. Phonetics. To convert (a consonant) to a vowel or semivowel; to make vocalic. Also intransitive: to become or be made vocalic.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > vowel > furnish with or produce by vowel [verb (transitive)] > convert to
vocalize1773
vowelize1867
1773 W. Kenrick Rhetorical Gram. Eng. Lang. 37 in New Dict. Eng. Lang. They indeed liquidate, or vocalise, if I may be allowed the term, the consonants too much.
1844 Proc. Philol. Soc. 1 249 It is true that the objectionable sound might be..got rid of..by vocalizing the second consonant, especially if a labial.
1860 J. W. Gibbs Teutonic Etymol. 86 The original vowel is attenuated or shortened... Except when an original consonant vocalizes, and uniting with the preceding vowel sound, preserves it long.
1940 Mod. Lang. Q. 1 5 Whenever a consonant vocalizes, it can produce only a semi-vowel which is also a semi-consonant and while it is such cannot have the word accent.
2003 T. R. Viitso in M. Erelt Estonian Lang. ii. 195 In Coastal and North-East Estonian, similarly to Finnish, the syllable-final *k, *t, and *p were vocalized to u.
6. transitive. To provide (text, word, or writing system) with vowels or signs representing vowels; esp. to write or supply (Hebrew, Arabic, etc.) with vowel points.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > writing > written character > represent by written character [verb (transitive)] > vowel-point
vowel1681
vowel-point1765
vocalize1841
vowelize1883
the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > vowel > furnish with or produce by vowel [verb (transitive)]
vowelize1816
vocalize1841
1841 C. W. Wall Exam. Anc. Orthogr. Jews: Pt. 2 ii. vi. 320 We are thus led to the epoch of the commencement of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt..; and the second of the considerations..renders it likely that the Ethiopic syllabary was actually vocalized very soon after that epoch.
1889 Amer. Jrnl. Philol. 10 232 Arabic books, especially Arabic poetry, are vocalized in the East as well as in the West.
1907 Phonogr. Mag. June 157/1 It is usually sufficient to vocalize a proper name the first time only that it occurs in a report.
1936 C. R. Driver Probl. Hebrew Verbal Syst. 72 The primary forms without prefix are vocalized according to the sense, namely with the soft or light i to express stativity or passivity and the hard or heavy a to express activity.
2000 Jerusalem Post (Nexis) 1 Sept. (Books section) Torah and other biblical scrolls are not vocalized at all, whereas the printed editions are fully vocalized.
Derivatives
ˈvocalizable adj.
ΚΠ
1852 Dublin Univ. Mag. May 542 He must choose language that is not merely melodious, but words that are vocalisable.
1973 A. Ginsberg in Spontaneous Mind (2001) 117 They were the most conscious of the traditional problem of vocalizable poetic forms.
1988 Phonol. 5 98 V is vocalisable in svap, since no sonorant follows.
2013 T. L. Hubbard in S. Lacey & R. Lawson Multisensory Imagery iv. 57 Halpern and Zatorre..found activation in right superior temporal gyrus, right frontal lobe, and supplementary motor area even in the absence of vocalizable lyrics.
ˈvocalizing n. and adj.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > voiced or voiceless sound gen > [adjective] > voiced or voicing
vocal1668
sonant1808
vocalizing1809
vocular1812
voiced1850
phonetic1864
phonic1877
sonantizing1879
sonantic1892
sonorant1899
the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > vowel > [noun] > utterance of
vocalizing1809
vocalization1887
1809 Beau Monde May 185/1 Our ears have been considerably annoyed by this young lady's attempts at vocalizing (to make use of Mr. Rauzzini's quaint expression).
1834 Chirstian Observer 34 App. 782 The organs of speech are fixed in the attitude for the vocalizing breath to pass through the mouth.
1899 T. C. Allbutt et al. Syst. Med. VII. 452 There is great danger of vocalising with the short inspiration.
1944 Jazz Session Nov. 14 Hampton, besides his straight vocalizing, tries a bit of scat singing.
2017 Los Angeles Times (Nexis) 26 Apr. e3 Sometimes the drum acted as a therapy tool for the vocalizing drummer.
ˈvocalizer n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > speech > one who speaks > [noun]
mathelereOE
mouthOE
speaker1303
sayer1340
outera1415
utterer1509
handler1534
trumpet1549
discourser1564
deliverer1580
linguist1612
vocalist1613
sermocinator1623
sermocinatrix1623
articulator1651
worder1654
voice1667
stringer1774
tonguer1822
vocalizer1830
locutor1858
outspeaker1858
speaker-hearer1965
speaker-listener1965
1830 Dramatic Mag. Aug. 222 We recommend Mr. Forde's short, but convincing observations on the Messa de Voce Phrasing of Melody, Portamento, Respiration, &c. to all vocalisers, and assure them it is a sensible little work.
1901 H. Murray R. Buchanan 81 Browning and Tennyson,..as the typical vocalisers of modern religious thought.
2017 Brisbane News (Nexis) 28 June 5 It doesn't matter if the vocaliser is in tune.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2018; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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