ventriloquy

ventriloquy
ventriloquy 1580s, from L.L. ventriloquus, from L. venter (gen. ventris) "belly" (see VENTRAL (Cf. ventral)) + loqui "speak" (see LOCUTION (Cf. locution)). Patterned on Gk. engastrimythos, lit. "speaking in the belly," which was not originally an entertainer's trick but rather a rumbling sort of internal speech, regarded as a sign of spiritual inspiration or (more usually) demonic possession. Reference to the modern meaning seems to have begun early 18c., and by 1797 it was being noted that this was a curiously inappropriate word to describe throwing the voice.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ventriloquy — Ven*tril o*quy, n. [Cf. F. ventriloquie.] Same as {Ventriloquism}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • ventriloquy — ventriloquist ► NOUN ▪ an entertainer who makes their voice seem to come from a dummy of a person or animal. DERIVATIVES ventriloquial adjective ventriloquism noun ventriloquy noun. ORIGIN from Latin venter belly + loqui speak …   English terms dictionary

  • ventriloquy — noun Date: 1584 ventriloquism 1 …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • ventriloquy — ven·tril·o·quy (vĕn trĭlʹə kwē) n. Ventriloquism. * * * …   Universalium

  • ventriloquy — noun Ventriloquism …   Wiktionary

  • ventriloquy — ven tril·o·quy || ven trɪlÉ™kwɪ n. art of speaking so that the voice seems to come from a source other than the speaker …   English contemporary dictionary

  • ventriloquy — ven·tril·o·quy …   English syllables

  • ventriloquy — n. = VENTRILOQUISM …   Useful english dictionary

  • ventriloquism — 1797, from VENTRILOQUY (Cf. ventriloquy) + ISM (Cf. ism) …   Etymology dictionary

  • ventriloquist — 1650s, from VENTRILOQUY (Cf. ventriloquy) + IST (Cf. ist) …   Etymology dictionary

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