- sound (n.1)
- "noise," late 13c., soun, from Old French son, from Latin sonus "sound," from PIE *swonos, from root *swen- "to sound" (cf. Sanskrit svanati "it sounds," svanah "sound, tone;" Latin sonare "to sound;" Old Irish senim "the playing of an instrument;" Old English geswin "music, song," swinsian "to sing;" Old Norse svanr, Old English swan "swan," properly "the sounding bird"). The final -d was established c.1350-1550 as part of a tendency to add -d- after -n-. First record of sound barrier is from 1939. Sound check is from 1977; sound effects is 1909, originally live accompaniments to silent films.
The experts of Victor ... will ... arrange for the synchronized orchestration and sound effects for this picture, in which airplane battles will have an important part. ["Exhibitor's Herald & Moving Picture World," April 28, 1928]
- sound (adj.)
- "uninjured," Old English gesund "sound, safe, healthy," from Proto-Germanic *sundas, from root *swen-to- (cf. Old Saxon gisund, Old Frisian sund, Dutch gezond, Old High German gisunt, German gesund "healthy," source of the post-sneezing interjection gesundheit; also Old English swið "strong," Gothic swinþs "strong," German geschwind "fast, quick"), with connections in Indo-Iranian and Balto-Slavic. Meaning "financially solid or safe" is attested from c.1600; of sleep, "undisturbed," from 1540s. Sense of "holding accepted opinions" is from 1520s. Soundly "completely" is attested from 1570s.
- sound (v.2)
- "fathom, probe," mid-14c. (implied in sounding), from Old French sonder, from sonde "sounding line," perhaps from a Germanic source (cf. Old English sund "water, sea;" see sound (n.2)).
- sound (n.2)
- "narrow channel of water," c.1300, from Old Norse sund "a strait, swimming," cognate with Old English sund "power of swimming, water, sea," both from Proto-Germanic *swumto-, from root *swem- (see swim (v.)).
- sound (v.1)
- early 13c., sounen "to be audible," from Old French soner and directly from Latin sonare, from sonus (see sound (n.1)). From late 14c. as "to produce sound" (on an instrument, etc.). Related: Sounded; sounding.