sotto voce
See also: sottovoce
English
editEtymology
editBorrowed from Italian sottovoce (literally “under [the] voice”).
Pronunciation
editAdjective
editsotto voce (not comparable)
- (of speech, of a voice, etc) In soft tones; quiet.
- 1913, D. H. Lawrence, chapter 5, in Sons and Lovers:
- Then a man called for her, and began to make coarse jokes. But Mr. Pappleworth nodded his head in the direction of the boy, and the talk went on sotto voce.
- 1985, Gary Russell, Divided Loyalties, page 38:
- ‘Hello?’ she shouted, but still her voice came out barely louder than a sotto voce whisper.
- 2018, Nicole Seymour, Bad Environmentalism, page 89:
- The Boyz also regularly speak in sotto voce, mimicking the grave, hushed tones often adopted by nature/wildlife programming hosts.
- (music) Soft, instruments or voice.
- Synonym: (informal) sotto
Adverb
editsotto voce (not comparable)
- (of speech, of a voice, etc) Quietly.
- 1847 October 16, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], Jane Eyre. An Autobiography. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder, and Co., […], →OCLC:
- "I am not your dear; I cannot lie down. Send me to school soon, Mrs. Reed, for I hate to live here." I will indeed send her to school soon," murmured Mrs. Reed sotto voce; and gathering up her work, she abruptly quitted the apartment.
- 2007 February 25, William Shaw, quoting Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza, “We Are Not a Muse”, in The New York Times[1], →ISSN:
- “Darling,” she says, “a working-class hero is something to be. “Of course,” she adds, sotto voce, “I wouldn’t know.”
- (music) Sung or played softly, instruments or voice.
- Synonym: (informal) sotto
Translations
editquietly (of speech)
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Noun
editsotto voce (plural sotto voci)
Italian
editAdverb
edit- Alternative form of sottovoce
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