Added 8 October 2026
speaking
/ˈspiː.kɪŋ/ noun
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about speaking at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- The utterance of intelligible speech.
-
Delivering an address to a public audience.
people came to see the candidates and hear the speechmaking
adjective
Origin
From Middle English spekinge, spekynge, spekinde, spekende, spekande, spekand, from Old English specende, sprecende (“speaking”), from Proto-Germanic *sprekandz (“speaking”), present participle of Proto-Germanic *sprekaną (“to speak”). Equivalent to speak + -ing. Cognate with Scots speikand, speikin (“speaking”), Saterland Frisian spreekend (“speaking”), West Frisian sprekkend (“speaking”), Dutch sprekend (“speaking”), German Low German sprekend (“speaking”), German sprechend (“speaking”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)