Word of the Day

: October 20, 2006

sotto voce

adjective or adverb sah-toh-VOH-chee

What It Means

1 : under the breath : in an undertone; also : in a private manner

2 : very softly -- used as a direction in music

sotto voce in Context

After Hal got up from the table, Marie told me, sotto voce, about the surprise party she was planning for him.

Did You Know?

It's no secret: in our example sentence, "sotto voce" functions as an adverb, modifying the past-tense verb "told." But "sotto voce," which was borrowed into English from the Italian word "sottovoce" (literally meaning "under the voice"), can also serve as an adjective. That's the role it plays in the following sentence: "Marie told me about the party in a sotto voce whisper." The adverb sense first appeared in English in the 18th century and soon afterward found use in musical directions calling for whispered vocals. The adjective sense came about in the early 19th century.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.