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Origin and history of intone

intone(v.1)

late 14c., entunen "sing, chant, recite, vocalize," from Old French entoner "to sing, chant" (13c.), from Medieval Latin intonare "sing according to tone," from Latin in- "in" (from PIE root *en "in") + tonus "tone," from Greek tonos, from PIE root *ten- "to stretch." Related: Intoned; intoning.

intone(v.2)

obsolete 17c.-18c. verb, from French entoner "thunder, roar, resound, reverberate," from Latin intonare "to thunder, resound," figuratively "to cry out vehemently," from tonare "to thunder" (see thunder (n.)). Related: Intoned; intoning.

also from 17c.

Entries linking to intone

thunder(n.)

Middle English thonder "sudden or rumbling loud noise which follows a flash of lightning," from Old English þunor "thunder, thunderclap; the god Thor," from Proto-Germanic *thunraz (source also of Old Norse þorr, Old Frisian thuner, Middle Dutch donre, Dutch donder, Old High German donar, German Donner "thunder"), from PIE *(s)tene- "to resound, thunder" (source also of Sanskrit tanayitnuh "thundering," Persian tundar "thunder," Latin tonare "to thunder"). Swedish tordön is literally "Thor's din." Since 18c. explained as due to sudden disturbance of the air caused by a discharge of electricity.

The unetymological -d- also is found in Dutch and Icelandic versions of the word (see D). Of any loud, resounding noise or awful or startling threat or denunciation by 1590s. In mild oaths (by thunder) by 1709; as an intensifier (like thunder) by 1826. To steal (one's) thunder "use the ideas, rhetoric, etc. of one's opponent to one's own advantage" is by 1838, from the theatrical anecdote (attested by 1821) of Dennis's ire at seeing his stage-effect thunder used in another's production. Thunder-stick, an imagined word used by primitive peoples for "gun," attested from 1904.

intonate(v.1)

"to intone, recite in a singing voice," 1795, from Medieval Latin intonatus, past participle of intonare "sing according to tone" (see intone). Compare Italian intonare, French entonner. Related: Intonated; intonating.

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chant
late 14c., "sing," from Old French chanter "to sing, celebrate" (12c.), from Latin cantare "to sing," originally a frequentative of canere "sing" (which it replaced), from PIE root *kan- "to sing." The frequentative quality of the word was no longer felt in Latin, and by the time
tone
mid-14c., "musical sound or note," from Old French ton "musical sound, speech, words" (13c.) and directly from Latin tonus "a sound, tone, accent," literally "stretching" (in Medieval Latin, a term peculiar to music), from Greek tonos "vocal pitch, raising of voice, accent, key i
mouth
Old English muþ "oral opening of an animal or human; opening of anything, door, gate," from Proto-Germanic *muntha- (source also of Old Saxon, Old Frisian muth, Old Norse munnr, Danish mund, Middle Dutch mont, Dutch mond, Old High German mund, German Mund, Gothic munþs "mouth"),
talk
c. 1200, talken, "speak, discourse, say something," probably a diminutive or frequentative form related to Middle English tale "story," and ultimately from the same source as tale (q.v.), with rare English formative -k (compare hark from hear, stalk from steal, smirk from smile)
speak
Middle English speken, from Old English specan, variant of sprecan "to utter words articulately without singing, have or use the power of speech; make a speech; hold discourse" with others (class V strong verb; past tense spræc, past participle sprecen), from Proto-Germanic *spre
sign
early 13c., signe, "gesture or motion of the hand," especially one meant to express thought or convey an idea, from Old French signe "sign, mark," from Latin signum "identifying mark, token, indication, symbol; proof; military standard, ensign; a signal, an omen; sign in the heav
sing
Middle English singen, from Old English singan "to chant, sing," especially in joy or merriment; "celebrate, or tell in song" (class III strong verb; past tense sang, past participle sungen), from Proto-Germanic *sengwan (source also of Old Saxon singan, Old Frisian sionga, Middl
judge
c. 1200, iugen, "examine, appraise, make a diagnosis;" c. 1300, "to form an opinion about; inflict penalty upon, punish; try (someone) and pronounce sentence," also intransitive, "make a decision, decide, think, suppose;" from Anglo-French juger, Old French jugier "to judge, pron
utter
Old English utera, uterra, "outer, exterior, external," from Proto-Germanic *utizon (source also of Old Norse utar, Old Frisian uttra, Middle Dutch utere, Dutch uiter-, Old High German uzar, German äußer "outer"), comparative adjective from ut (see out (adv.)). Meaning "complete,

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