Speaking or making sounds with your voice, especially when saying something aloud or expressing words. The lawyer objected to him uttering threats in court.
From Old English uterian or uteran, from ut- (out) + an archaic root meaning to speak. Related to 'utter' meaning complete or absolute, which came from the same directional sense of 'out' (completely out).
It's wild that 'utter' can mean both 'complete' (utter chaos) and 'to speak' (uttering words)—they come from the same root suggesting something going 'out completely.' Medieval writers used it to mean both saying something fully and completely expressing yourself.
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