loudspeaker
UK[ˌlaʊdˈspiːkə]US[ˈlaʊdˌspikər]
n
A piece of equipment that changes electrical signals into sound, especially one used as part of a public address system, radio, or music player.
Morpheme Breakdown
loud
speaker
loud
sense
speaker
sense
Etymology
The word 'loudspeaker' is a transparent 20th-century English compound, created by combining two native Germanic elements to name a new technological invention. The first element, 'loud', descends from the Proto-Germanic \hlūdaz, meaning "heard" or "famous," which itself derives from the Proto-Indo-European root \ḱleu-, meaning "to hear." The second element, 'speaker', originates from the Old English verb sprecan, "to speak," from the Proto-Germanic \sprekaną. The compound's literal meaning, "a thing that speaks loudly," perfectly captures its function of converting electrical audio signals into audible sound at high volume, demonstrating how English readily forms new terms from its existing lexical stock.
Analysis
Structure: loud (sense) + speaker (sense)
- loud: From Old English hlūd (making a great noise, sounding strongly). In this compound, it functions as an adjective modifying the noun 'speaker', indicating high volume.
- speaker: From the agent noun 'speak' + '-er'. 'Speak' is from Old English specan, a variant of sprecan (to speak). The suffix '-er' denotes an agent or thing that performs an action. Here, it refers to a device that produces sound.
Examples
The announcement was broadcast through a loudspeaker mounted on the town hall.
He connected his guitar to a powerful loudspeaker for the outdoor concert.
The quality of the sound depends greatly on the loudspeaker system.