Merriam-Webster's Word Central

September 07, 2009

audible (adjective): \AW-duh-bul\
What does it mean?: : heard or capable of being heard
How do you use it?: "In books lies the soul of the whole Past Time: the articulate audible voice of the Past, when the body and material substance of it has altogether vanished like a dream." (Thomas Carlyle, On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History)
Are you a word wiz?: Like many words in English, "audible" comes from a Latin root. Three of the following words come from the same Latin root and so are related to "audible." Which one do you think is NOT related to "audible"?

A. "audit," meaning "a thorough check of accounts especially of a business"

B. "audience," meaning "a group that listens or watches (as at a play or concert)"

C. "audition," meaning "a short performance to test the talents of a musician, singer, dancer, or actor"

D. "audacious," meaning "very bold and daring, fearless"

Listen up! The Latin verb "audire," meaning "to hear," is the ancestor of "audible," "audit," "audience," and "audition," all of which have to do with hearing. The combining form "audio-," which you may have seen in words such as "audiotape" or "audiovisual," is also part of this word family. And there is the less common "oyez," an imperative verb used as a call to gain attention before a public announcement. To hear how "oyez" can be pronounced, go here. What of "audacious"? It derives from the Latin verb "audere," meaning "to dare," which traces to "avidus," meaning "eager."

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