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Origin and history of sonorous

sonorous(adj.)

"giving sound when struck, resonant, full-volumed," 1610s, from Latin sonorus "resounding," from sonor "sound, noise," from sonare "to sound, make a noise" (from PIE root *swen- "to sound"). Related: Sonorously; sonorousness. Earlier was sonouse (c. 1500), from Medieval Latin sonosus; also sonourse "having a pleasing voice" (c. 1400), from sonor.

also from 1610s

Entries linking to sonorous

Sonora

Mexican state, also in reference to Native languages there, from Spanish sonora "sonorous" (from Latin sonoros; see sonorous), supposedly so called in reference to marble deposits in the rocks there which rang when struck. Related: Sonoran.

sonority(n.)

"sonorousness, resonance, the quality of giving sound when struck," 1620s, from French sonorité and directly from Latin sonoritas "fullness of sound," from sonorus "resounding" (see sonorous).

*swen-

also swenə-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to sound." 

It might form all or part of: assonance; consonant; dissonant; resound; sonant; sonata; sone; sonic; sonnet; sonogram; sonorous; sound (n.1) "noise, what is heard;" sound (v.1) "to be audible;" swan; unison.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit svanati "it sounds," svanah "sound, tone;" Latin sonus "sound, a noise," sonare "to sound;" Old Irish senim "the playing of an instrument;" Old English geswin "music, song," swinsian "to sing;" Old Norse svanr, Old English swan "swan," properly "the sounding bird."

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