stutter
stutter
UK[ˈstʌtə]US[ˈstʌtər]
v
To speak with involuntary repetition or blocking of sounds, especially initial consonants.
n
A speech disorder characterized by a stutter.
Etymology
The word 'stutter' is an onomatopoeic formation, originating in Middle English as a frequentative variant of the verb 'stutten', which meant to stutter or stumble in speech. This Middle English term is of Germanic origin, likely related to Middle Low German 'stötern' meaning to bump or collide, reflecting the concept of speech being obstructed or hitting a block. The core semantic logic connects the repetitive, halting sounds of speech to the imitative sound pattern 'st-', a common base for words denoting impact or obstruction, which evolved into the specific modern term for a speech fluency disorder. Its journey exemplifies how language often creates words that phonetically mimic the action or sound they describe.
Analysis
The word 'stutter' is a Middle English iterative or frequentative verb, related to Middle English 'stutten', meaning 'to stutter'. Its ultimate origin is imitative, from Proto-Germanic.
Examples
He tends to stutter when he is nervous or speaking in public.
The child worked with a therapist to manage his stutter.
"P-p-please," he stuttered, trying to get the words out.