What is the Latin word for speak?

The usual Latin words for “speak” are loquor, dīcō, for; also fābulor, cōnfābulor, agō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“speak” in Latin

loquorto say, speak, tell, talk, utter; to declare, speak, or state more formally as in a legal context or in defense of someo dīcōto say, talk, speak, utter, mention; to declare, state; to tell forto speak, talk, say fābulorto chat, converse, talk; to make up a story cōnfābulorto converse; to discuss agōto act, to behave; to do; to make (something that does not continue to exist after the maker stops)manifestuscaught in the act, plainly guilty; detected in the act, flagrant, plain; obvious, self-evident aperiōto uncover, make or lay bare, reveal, clear; to make visible, discover, show, reveal, lay open; to unclose, open, break exempluma sample, example; a warning example, deterrent; torture, exemplary penalty, chastisement reticeōto be silent, keep silent; to refrain from answering; to keep silent or secret, conceal

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

speak

To utter articulate sounds as expressions of thought, loqui (to express one’s thoughts; opposed to tacere or reticere; especially in familiar conversation): dicere (to enunciate, utter in words; more formally, as in a set speech): fari (rare in prose: used by poets of solemn or set speech): fabulari, and (of several) confabulari (almost exclusively comedy): verba facere (of a set speech, by an orator). To learn to speak, loquendi facultatem consequi (Cels.). To speak together, or with one another, colloqui: sermocinari: sermonem conferre: to be always (often) speaking of anything, usurpare aliquid sermonibus; in ore habere aliquid: to speak of anything, narrare aliquid: to speak good Latin, bene, or scienter, Latine loqui: to speak plainly, loqui plane, dilucide: to speak generally, loqui generatim, universe: to speak quickly, rapidly, linguae celeritatem incitare; volubili esse, lingua (Cic.); praecipitare sermonem (Liv.). Not to speak of all of them, remotis his omnibus: not to speak of this, that, etc., ut taceam, ut sileam, followed by an accusative and infinitive; ut praetermittam, followed by quod or an accusative and infinitive; praeterquam or praeter id, quod, etc.: to wish to speak with anybody, aliquem velle: to speak evil of anybody, secus de aliquo dicere (Cic.), loqui (Tac.): alicui male dicere, probra dicere: not to speak a word with one, non unum verbum commutare cum aliquo (Terentianus). To speak to a person, alloqui, appellare, compellare aliquem. To finish speaking, dicendi or loquendi finem facere (general term): sermonem conficere (to end a conversation): perorare (to come to a conclusion in a speech). Not to suffer anybody to finish speaking, aliquem or alicujus orationem interpellare (☞ not occupare). Let me finish speaking, sine me pervenire quo volo; sine omnia dicam; sine dicam quod coepi.

To deliver an oration, orationem habere, agere, or dicere: to speak before the people, orationem dicere ad populum; verba facere apud populum: to speak in public (to an assembly regularly convened), concionari; concionem habere (Cic.).

To be very expressive, to bear witness, etc., by circumlocution (e.g., hujus rei testis est pugna Marathonia, speaks for): a speaking argument, example, manifestum, apertum, promtum argumentum, exemplum. A speaking image or picture, imago viva. The thing speaks for itself, res loquitur ipsa (Cic.); si res verba postularet, ac non pro se ipsa loqueretur (Cic., Fam., 3, 2).

Speak to; Vid. ACCOST, ADDRESS.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for speak?: The usual Latin words for “speak” are loquor, dīcō, for; also fābulor, cōnfābulor, agō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.