"speak to" meaning in English

See speak to in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: En-au-speak to.ogg Forms: speaks to [present, singular, third-person], speaking to [participle, present], spoke to [past], spoken to [participle, past]
Etymology: First used in 1610 in the sense of 'discuss'. Use for the meaning of 'bespeak' is attested since the 1960s. Head templates: {{en-verb|speak<,,spoke,spoken> to}} speak to (third-person singular simple present speaks to, present participle speaking to, simple past spoke to, past participle spoken to)
  1. (idiomatic) To give evidence regarding something; to attest or provide evidence for; to bespeak. Tags: idiomatic Translations (to give evidence regarding something): osoittaa (Finnish), perustella (Finnish), montrer (French), démontrer (French), riguardare (Italian), dimostrare (Italian), alloquor (Latin), colloquor (Latin), affor (Latin)
    Sense id: en-speak_to-en-verb-QjO-xgzE Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 38 45 17 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 32 38 30 Disambiguation of 'to give evidence regarding something': 99 1 1
  2. (idiomatic) To address a particular topic. Tags: idiomatic Translations (to address a particular topic): käsitellä (Finnish), concernere (Italian), alloquor (Latin), colloquor (Latin)
    Sense id: en-speak_to-en-verb-1sGcwlSE Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs formed with "to", Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Latin translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 38 45 17 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs formed with "to": 31 40 29 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 32 38 30 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 28 48 25 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 27 48 25 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 27 48 25 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 29 46 26 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 29 46 25 Disambiguation of Terms with Latin translations: 29 46 25 Disambiguation of 'to address a particular topic': 0 99 0
  3. (idiomatic) To (figuratively) resonate with; to feel emotionally relevant to. Tags: idiomatic Translations (to resonate with): puhutella (Finnish), toucher (French), colpire (Italian), alloquor (Latin), colloquor (Latin)
    Sense id: en-speak_to-en-verb-EBMnJ8tU Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 38 45 17 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 32 38 30 Disambiguation of 'to resonate with': 3 0 97

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_text": "First used in 1610 in the sense of 'discuss'. Use for the meaning of 'bespeak' is attested since the 1960s.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "speaks to",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "speaking to",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "spoke to",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "spoken to",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "speak<,,spoke,spoken> to"
      },
      "expansion": "speak to (third-person singular simple present speaks to, present participle speaking to, simple past spoke to, past participle spoken to)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "38 45 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "32 38 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2006, Staff of Vault, The College Buzz Book, page 176:",
          "text": "This definitely speaks to the fact that at Georgetown, beginning at the admissions process, you're not a number but a real person.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2018, James Lambert, “A multitude of ‘lishes’: The nomenclature of hybridity”, in English World-Wide, page 7:",
          "text": "Leaving aside the abundance of negativity for the time being, in aggregate these attempts at definition speak to the multitude of linguistic phenomena characteristic of language hybridity in multilingual settings, albeit explained with differing emphases by different definers.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To give evidence regarding something; to attest or provide evidence for; to bespeak."
      ],
      "id": "en-speak_to-en-verb-QjO-xgzE",
      "links": [
        [
          "evidence",
          "evidence"
        ],
        [
          "attest",
          "attest"
        ],
        [
          "bespeak",
          "bespeak"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To give evidence regarding something; to attest or provide evidence for; to bespeak."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1 1",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to give evidence regarding something",
          "word": "osoittaa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1 1",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to give evidence regarding something",
          "word": "perustella"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1 1",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to give evidence regarding something",
          "word": "montrer"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1 1",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to give evidence regarding something",
          "word": "démontrer"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1 1",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to give evidence regarding something",
          "word": "riguardare"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1 1",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to give evidence regarding something",
          "word": "dimostrare"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1 1",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "to give evidence regarding something",
          "word": "alloquor"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1 1",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "to give evidence regarding something",
          "word": "colloquor"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "99 1 1",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "to give evidence regarding something",
          "word": "affor"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "38 45 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "31 40 29",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"to\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "32 38 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 48 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "27 48 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "27 48 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "29 46 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "29 46 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "29 46 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Latin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1981, McGill journal of education:",
          "text": "Education for being speaks to what grows within the person himself",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To address a particular topic."
      ],
      "id": "en-speak_to-en-verb-1sGcwlSE",
      "links": [
        [
          "address",
          "address"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To address a particular topic."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 99 0",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to address a particular topic",
          "word": "käsitellä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 99 0",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to address a particular topic",
          "word": "concernere"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 99 0",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "to address a particular topic",
          "word": "alloquor"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 99 0",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "to address a particular topic",
          "word": "colloquor"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "38 45 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "32 38 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "His music really speaks to me.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 August 31, Frankie de la Cretaz, “Postcard from Camp Gaylore”, in Cosmopolitan:",
          "text": "With its pastel cover and pro-LGBTQ+ anthem “You Need to Calm Down,” Lover got a ton of airplay in that two-bedroom apartment. And the breakup songs—“Death by a Thousand Cuts,” “I Forgot That You Existed”—certainly spoke to me.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To (figuratively) resonate with; to feel emotionally relevant to."
      ],
      "id": "en-speak_to-en-verb-EBMnJ8tU",
      "links": [
        [
          "resonate",
          "resonate"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To (figuratively) resonate with; to feel emotionally relevant to."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "3 0 97",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to resonate with",
          "word": "puhutella"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 0 97",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to resonate with",
          "word": "toucher"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 0 97",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to resonate with",
          "word": "colpire"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 0 97",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "to resonate with",
          "word": "alloquor"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 0 97",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "to resonate with",
          "word": "colloquor"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-speak to.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/7d/En-au-speak_to.ogg/En-au-speak_to.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/En-au-speak_to.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "speak to"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs formed with \"to\"",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Latin translations"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "First used in 1610 in the sense of 'discuss'. Use for the meaning of 'bespeak' is attested since the 1960s.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "speaks to",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "speaking to",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "spoke to",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "spoken to",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "speak<,,spoke,spoken> to"
      },
      "expansion": "speak to (third-person singular simple present speaks to, present participle speaking to, simple past spoke to, past participle spoken to)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2006, Staff of Vault, The College Buzz Book, page 176:",
          "text": "This definitely speaks to the fact that at Georgetown, beginning at the admissions process, you're not a number but a real person.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2018, James Lambert, “A multitude of ‘lishes’: The nomenclature of hybridity”, in English World-Wide, page 7:",
          "text": "Leaving aside the abundance of negativity for the time being, in aggregate these attempts at definition speak to the multitude of linguistic phenomena characteristic of language hybridity in multilingual settings, albeit explained with differing emphases by different definers.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To give evidence regarding something; to attest or provide evidence for; to bespeak."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "evidence",
          "evidence"
        ],
        [
          "attest",
          "attest"
        ],
        [
          "bespeak",
          "bespeak"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To give evidence regarding something; to attest or provide evidence for; to bespeak."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1981, McGill journal of education:",
          "text": "Education for being speaks to what grows within the person himself",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To address a particular topic."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "address",
          "address"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To address a particular topic."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "His music really speaks to me.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 August 31, Frankie de la Cretaz, “Postcard from Camp Gaylore”, in Cosmopolitan:",
          "text": "With its pastel cover and pro-LGBTQ+ anthem “You Need to Calm Down,” Lover got a ton of airplay in that two-bedroom apartment. And the breakup songs—“Death by a Thousand Cuts,” “I Forgot That You Existed”—certainly spoke to me.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To (figuratively) resonate with; to feel emotionally relevant to."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "resonate",
          "resonate"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To (figuratively) resonate with; to feel emotionally relevant to."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-speak to.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/7d/En-au-speak_to.ogg/En-au-speak_to.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/En-au-speak_to.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to give evidence regarding something",
      "word": "osoittaa"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to give evidence regarding something",
      "word": "perustella"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to give evidence regarding something",
      "word": "montrer"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to give evidence regarding something",
      "word": "démontrer"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to give evidence regarding something",
      "word": "riguardare"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to give evidence regarding something",
      "word": "dimostrare"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "to give evidence regarding something",
      "word": "alloquor"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "to give evidence regarding something",
      "word": "colloquor"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "to give evidence regarding something",
      "word": "affor"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to address a particular topic",
      "word": "käsitellä"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to address a particular topic",
      "word": "concernere"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "to address a particular topic",
      "word": "alloquor"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "to address a particular topic",
      "word": "colloquor"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to resonate with",
      "word": "puhutella"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to resonate with",
      "word": "toucher"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to resonate with",
      "word": "colpire"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "to resonate with",
      "word": "alloquor"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "to resonate with",
      "word": "colloquor"
    }
  ],
  "word": "speak to"
}

Download raw JSONL data for speak to meaning in English (5.2kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.