English → Latin
“tone” in Latin
sonussound, noise; pitch; speech; tone, character, style; voice, tonguesonōto sound, resound, make a sound or noise (and various sounds in-context); to sound, utter, speak, express, call; to cry vōxvoice; accent; speech, remark, expression, (turn of) phrasesermōa conversation, discussion; a rumor, diction, speech, talk, discourse; a language, manner of speakingtonusThe stretching or straining of a rope.; A strain; tension.; The pitch, sound or tone of something.tonōto thunder; to speak thunderously, make a loud, thundering noise; to resound like thunder
The English word tone itself goes back to Latin tonus.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
tone
PROP., sonus: sonitus (general term): vox (sound of the human voice or of a musical instrument): vocis genus. Variety of tones, sonorum varietas.
Figuratively. Manner of speaking, vox (as to the sound of the voice): sermo (as to the substance of what is said): sonus (as to the general drift or bearing of a speech or composition). A moderate or calm tone, sedata vox: to speak to anybody in a harsh tone, aspere compellare aliquem: to reprove in a gentle tone, molli brachio aliquem objurgare: to speak in a lofty tone, magnifice or superbe loqui: to speak in a low tone, summisse loqui: to alter one’s tone, allocutionem vertere; personam mutare.
Coloring, tonus (Plin., 35, 5, 11): also, color (Vid: Hor., Sat., 2, 1, 60, figuratively, color vitae, the tone, coloring, of one’s life).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for tone?
- The usual Latin words for “tone” are sonus, sonō, vōx; also sermō, tonus, tonō. 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.