Speak (?), v. i. [imp. Spoke (?) (Spake () Archaic); p. p. Spoken (?) (Spoke, Obs. ∨ Colloq.); p. pr. & vb. n. Speaking.] [OE. speken, AS. specan, sprecan; akin to OF.ries. spreka, D. spreken, OS. spreken, G. sprechen, OHG. sprehhan, and perhaps to Skr. sph&umac;rj to crackle, to thunder. Cf. Spark of fire, Speech.]
1.
To utter words or articulate sounds, as human beings; to express thoughts by words; as, the organs may be so obstructed that a man may not be able to speak.
Till at the last spake in this manner.
Chaucer.
Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth.
1 Sam. iii. 9.
2.
To express opinions; to say; to talk; to converse.
That fluid substance in a few minutes begins to set, as the tradesmen speak.
Boyle.
An honest man, is able to speak for himself, when a knave is not.
Shak.
During the century and a half which followed the Conquest, there is, to speak strictly, no English history.
Macaulay.
3.
To utter a speech, discourse, or harangue; to adress a public assembly formally.
Many of the nobility made themselves popular by speaking in Parliament against those things which were most grateful to his majesty.
Clarendon.
4.
To discourse; to make mention; to tell.
Lycan speaks of a part of Caesar's army that came to him from the Leman Lake.
Addison.
5.
To give sound; to sound.
Make all our trumpets speak.
Shak.
6.
To convey sentiments, ideas, or intelligence as if by utterance; as, features that speak of self-will.
Thine eye begins to speak.
Shak.
To speak of, to take account of, to make mention of. Robynson (More's Utopia). -- To speak out, to speak loudly and distinctly; also, to speak unreservedly. -- To speak well for, to commend; to be favorable to. -- To speak with, to converse with. "Would you speak with me?" Shak.
Syn. -- To say; tell; talk; converse; discourse; articulate; pronounce; utter.
© Webster 1913.
Speak (?), v. t.
1.
To utter with the mouth; to pronounce; to utter articulately, as human beings.
They sat down with him upn ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him.
Job. ii. 13.
2.
To utter in a word or words; to say; to tell; to declare orally; as, to speak the truth; to speak sense.
3.
To declare; to proclaim; to publish; to make known; to exhibit; to express in any way.
It is my father;s muste
To speak your deeds.
Shak.
Speaking a still good morrow with her eyes.
Tennyson.
And for the heaven's wide circuit, let it speak
The maker's high magnificence.
Milton.
Report speaks you a bonny monk.
Sir W. Scott.
4.
To talk or converse in; to utter or pronounce, as in conversation; as, to speak Latin.
And French she spake full fair and fetisely.
Chaucer.
5.
To address; to accost; to speak to.
[He will] thee in hope; he will speak thee fair.
Ecclus. xiii. 6.
each village senior paused to scan
And speak the lovely caravan.
Emerson.
To speak a ship Naut., to hail and speak to her captain or commander.
© Webster 1913.