Voice (pronounced vois)
(1) The sound made by the vibration of the vocal cords,
especially when modified by the resonant effect of the tongue and mouth; the
sound or sounds uttered through the mouth of living creatures, especially of
human beings in speaking, shouting, singing etc.
(2) The faculty or power of uttering sounds through the
mouth by the controlled expulsion of air; speech.
(3) A range of such sounds to some extent distinctive to
one person, or to a type of person or animal.
(4) The condition or effectiveness of the voice for
speaking or singing (usually expressed in the phrases “in good voice” or “in
poor voice” (although “in good voice” is also used sarcastically to refer to
someone merely talkative or voluble).
(5) A sound likened to or resembling vocal utterance.
(6) Something likened to speech as conveying impressions
to the mind (voice of the forest etc).
(7) Expression in spoken or written words, or by other
means (to give voice); that which is communicated; message; meaning.
(8) The right to present and receive consideration of
one's desires or opinions (usually in a political context, “the voice of the
people” said to be expressed by voting in elections).
(9) An expressed opinion or choice (literally,
electorally or behaviorally); an expressed will or desire, wish or injunction
(“with one voice” meaning unanimous).
(10) The person or other agency through which something
is expressed or revealed such as the notion of the Roman Catholic Pope being
the “Vicar of Christ on Earth” and thus “The voice of God”.
(11) A warning that proved to be the voice of prophecy.
(12) In music, a substitute word which can apply to a
singer, a voice part or that part of musical score which involves singing and
(in harmony) an independent melodic line or parta fugue in five voices.
(13) In phonetics, the audible result of phonation and
resonance; to pronounce with glottal vibration (and distinguished from the mere
breath sounds heard in whispering and voiceless consonants).
(14) In grammar, a set of categories for which the verb
is inflected in some languages (notably Latin) and which is typically used to
indicate the relation of the verbal action to the subject as performer, under-goer,
or beneficiary of its action; a particular way of inflecting or conjugating verbs,
or a particular form of a verb, by means of which is indicated the relation of
the subject of the verb to the action which the verb expresses.
(15) In grammar, a set of syntactic devices in some
languages, as English, that is similar to this set in function; any of the
categories of these sets (eg the English passive voice; the Greek middle voice).
(16) In the tuning of musical instruments, the finer
regulation (expressed usually as intensity, color or shades of light), used especially
of the piano and organ.
(17) To give utterance or expression to; declare;
proclaim (“to voice one’s approval”, “to voice one’s discontent” etc).
(18) In sign languages, the interpretation into spoken
language.
(19) In computers. of or relating to the use of human or
synthesized speech (as voice to text, text to voice, voice-data entry; voice
output, voice command etc).
(20) In telecommunications, of or relating to the
transmission of speech or data over media designed for the transmission of
speech (in classifications such as voice-grade channel, voice-data network, voice-activated,
voice over internet protocol (VoIP) etc); in internet use, a flag associated
with a user on a channel, determining whether or not they can send messages to
the channel.
(21) A rumor; fame, renown; command precept; to vote; to
elect; to appoint; to clamor; to cry out (all obsolete).
(22) In entertainment, to provide the voice for a character
(as voice-over for purposes such as foreign translations).
(23) In literary theory (1) the role of the narrator, (2)
as viewpoint, the position of the narrator in relation to their story & (3)
the content of what is delivered behind a persona (mask), the most basic form
of aesthetic distance.
1250–1300: From the Middle English noun voice, voys & vois (sound made by the human mouth), from the Anglo-French voiz, voys & voice or directly from the
Old French voiz & vois (voice, speech; word, saying,
rumor, report (which survives in Modern French as voix)), from the Latin vōcem
(voice, sound, utterance, cry, call, speech, sentence, language, word (and accusative
of vōx (voice)), from the primitive
Indo-European wṓkws, root noun from wekw- (to utter, speak). It was cognate with the Latin vocāre (to call), the Sanskrit वाच् (vāc) & vakti ((he) speaks), the Ancient Greek ὄψ (óps) (voice)
& épos (word (and related to the
later “epic”)) and the Persian آواز (âvâz). The Latin was the source also of the Italian voce and the Spanish voz. The Anglo-French borrowing displaced the native Middle
English steven (voice), from the Old
English stefn, from the Proto-Germanic stemno,
from the primitive Indo-European stomen-. The extension of use to mean "ability in
a singer" dates from the early seventeenth century while the idea of "expression
of feeling etc." (in reference to groups of people etc) was known as early
as the late fourteenth century (and persists in uses such as the broadcaster
“Voice of America”) The meaning "invisible spirit or force that directs or
suggests, (used especially in the mental health community in the context of “voices
in one's head” dates from 1911. The verb was from the Middle English voysen
& voicen, from the noun and
emerged in the mid fifteenth century, initially in the sense of "to be
commonly said" (familiar still in terms like “the Arab voice”) and from
circa 1600s it was understood to mean "to express, give utterance to a
feeling, opinion etc”. From 1867 there
was also the technical meaning "utter (a letter-sound) with the vocal
cords", used often as voiced or voicing.
The spelling voyce is long obsolete. Voice & voicer are nouns; voiced is a
verb & adjective and voicing is a noun & verb; the noun plural is voices.
The noun voicemail (originally voice mail) dates from
1982 and was one of the bolt-ons to fixed-line telephony which was among the most
popular features of the early cellular (mobile) phones but, interestingly, by
the late 1990s users had come much to prefer SMS (short message service or
text). The adjective voiceless began in
the 1530s as a doctor’s description of one who had “lost their voice” but
within a century was used to refer to those who had no say in affairs of Church
and state: The voiceless masses”. It was
first used in the sense of "unspoken, unuttered" to refer to
non-verbal communication in 1816 and in phonology "unvoiced" dates
from 1867. In idiomatic use, the phrases
include “at the top of one's voice”, chest voice, chipmunk voice. liking the
sound of one's own voice, outdoor voice, raising one's voice, voice changer, voice
coil, voiceprint & voice quality. In
formal grammar, there’s active voice, anti-passive voice, middle voice, neuter
voice & passive voice.
The Australian Labor Party, the “Voice to Parliament” and
the referendum process.
With great enthusiasm from one faction and a feeling of
impending dread from the other, Australia’s brand new Labor Party (ALP)
government has confirmed the election promise to submit to the people a
referendum to append to the Constitution of Australia a “Voice to Parliament” for
the indigenous peoples will be honored, the vote scheduled for the second half of 2023. In Australia, even to submit
a referendum is ambitious given that of the 44 submitted since 1901, only eight
have been approved and the bar to success is high, demanding (1) an absolute
majority of voters nationally and (2) a majority in at least four of the six
states.
The “Voice to Parliament” does seem to be wholly symbolic
given the consensus view among legal academics that it neither “confers upon Indigenous Australians any
special rights” nor “takes away any
right, power or privilege from anyone who is not indigenous”. In other words, it will have the same
constitutional effect as the words “…humbly
relying on the blessing of Almighty God” have had since being enacted as
part of the constitution in 1901: Nothing.
The view seems to be that the voice will provide “a strong basis on which to conduct further consultation”, the
implication being the creation of a mechanism whereby there’s a standing institution
of communication between the political elite and an indigenous elite. So logical and efficient does that appear, it
looks like one of the classic colonial fixes at which the British were so adept
under the Raj. In India they were the
key to minimizing troubles while in Fiji they worked so well even the British
administrators were astonished. There, the Great Council of Chiefs, an institution entirely
of the Raj’s imagination became so culturally entrenched that within a
generation, the chiefs themselves were speaking of the council as if it had
existed a thousand years.
The government has said “the ultimate model was still being debated by internal groups, and
would be subject to negotiation” but given the need to create something
which gives the appearance of being much yet has absolutely no constitutional
effect, it difficult to see what the basis for discussion might be other than
details about Toyota Land Cruisers. Despite
that, there is opposition, one source of which comes from within the ALP,
certain figures convinced (and the history of referendums in Australia is not
encouraging) it’s impossible to get a vote to pass unless both side of politics
advocate a “yes” vote. So sensitive has
become the issue of race they fear a no vote would be damaging internationally so are lobbying to find some excuse to “delay” the vote, even arguing
it would be better first to pursue a treaty, the theory being if the can is
kicked far enough down the road, by the time the matter re-surfaces, they’ll be
retired and it’s someone else’s problem.
The leader of the opposition has announced the Liberal
Party will be advocating a “no” vote, something which has doomed every referendum
submitted without bipartisan support.
The leader of the opposition didn’t articulate any coherent reason to
oppose the voice but history suggests saying “no” when the government says “yes”
can be a successful approach and Lord Randolph Churchill’s (1849-1895) dictum that “the duty of the opposition is to oppose”
remains good politics. Of interest too
among those opposing the voice is their language: Eschewing the popular (if contested)
phrase “first nations” to describe Indigenous
Australians for “first peoples”, they are anxious to ensure that any notion of
sovereignty can’t be part of the discussion although, given the indivisibility
of the doctrine (as opposed to land title) under law, it’s hard to see how this
could be part of the debate about the voice.
Perhaps they are fretting about negotiating treaties and perhaps they
should.
Finally, there are the “black-letter lawyers” who, noting that judicial activism seemed to be fashionable on the bench of the High Court of Australia not that long ago, worry some judges might find in the words of “the voice” things which on the basis of the usual techniques of linguistic or judicial construction would seem not to exist. The High Court is the final arbiter on constitutional matters; what a majority there says the words of the constitution mean is what they mean and while parliaments can by legislative change impose their will upon laws, the only way the wording of a passage in the constitution can be changed is to have substitute words approved by referendum; a probably improbable prospect.
Still, it’s difficult to advocate anything but a yes vote. Since white settlement, Indigenous Australians have at times endured dispossession, discrimination, conditions which can be described only as slavery and not a few instances of mass murder and it’s absurd to suggest the level of disadvantage so many continue to suffer is not a consequence of this history. What’s remarkable is not that among them there are expressions of discontent but that so many manage to maintain such generosity of spirit and willingness to engage. The Voice may appear, as the Holy Alliance seemed to Lord Castlereagh (1769–1822; UK foreign secretary 1812-1822) “a piece of sublime mysticism and nonsense” but it’s worth remembering he anyway recommended Britain signed the thing on the basis that although too vague to achieve anything substantive, it was unlikely to make things worse. Something good may come from the Voice while little good can come from rejecting it.
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Lindsay Lohan’s sometimes hoarse voice has
attracted comment, some finding the gravelly tone sexy, others expressing
concern the change might be lifestyle induced. The voices of actors and singers
are after all their stock-in-trade so something so distinctive can limit the one’s
range of characters or repertoire although notable artists such as Marlene
Dietrich (1901–1992) and Marianne Faithfull (b 1946) made a signature of what
used to called a “gin-soaked voice”. Still,
Lindsay Lohan’s vocal dynamics piqued the interest of Dr Reena Gupta, Director
of the Division of Voice and Laryngology at the Osborne Head & Neck Institute
(OHNI) and she provided some explanatory notes, noting that while inherent
for some, hoarseness can be a serious matter for those whose living depends on
their voice, the condition sometimes reversible, sometimes not. According to Dr Gupta, a clear voice requires
(1) straight edges of the vocal cords, (2) regular and symmetric vibration of
the vocal cords, (3) no space between the vocal cords, (4) no mucous on the
vocal cords, healthy lungs and (5) a healthy vocal tract (and that includes the
mouth, nose, sinuses etc). Hoarseness
occurs when there is damage to the vocal cords that either disrupts the
straight edge of the vocal cords or disrupts their vibration, the other factors
more important for ease of voice use and vocal tone.
Many injuries can cause the vocal edge to be irregular,
thereby inducing hoarseness including polyps, cysts & nodules but even when
the edges are straight, scarring can also dampen vibrations and make them
irregular, scarred vocal cords having lost their ability to vibrate due to a
loss of the vibrating layer and there is currently no cure for the loss of
vibration due to scarring. The scarring
can happen for many reasons but is almost always caused by vocal trauma which
can be induced by (1) talking loudly or frequent yelling, (2) singing with a
flawed technique, (3) smoking (any substance) or (4) a chronic cough or
habitual throat clearing. Any behavior
that causes inflammation of the vocal cords will result in a higher likelihood
of scarring and a videostroboscopy is the only non-surgical procedure which can
confirm the presence of scarring.
There’s nothing unusual or concerning about a hoarseness which lasts
only a day or so but if it persists beyond that, a professional evaluation
should be sought and many of the causes of are treatable, almost all able to be
at least to some extent ameliorated.
Celebrity site ETOnLine.com in 2016 noted the “darkening” in Lindsay Lohan’s voice and posted examples of the variations.
However, prevention being better than cure, Dr Gupta
provided the following guidelines for caring for one’s voice and there’s
probably no other aspect of our physiology which, despite being so important,
is so taken for granted:
(1) No smoking (that’s anything, including vaping).
(2) No heavy use of alcohol, though in moderation it’s OK.
(3) When in a loud environment (restaurants, clubs,
parties, sporting events et al), restrict the use of the voice use to a minimum
and resist the temptation to shout except in cases of life or death.
(4) Hydration is especially important when in a loud
environment (always carry water).
(5) If the voice has been subject to loud or prolonged
use, rest the vocal cords the next day.
Under extreme conditions (towards the end of epic-length Wagnerian
opera, the voices of even the most skilled will sound a little ragged) there
will always be some damage, just as many athletes will tear a few things in
competition which is why the recovery protocols must be observed.
(6) If scheduled to need one’s voice in perfect shape, do
not the previous evening go somewhere one may be required to shout.
(7) Avoid recreational drugs; their effects are always
uncertain.
(8) Learn correct voice use. Although actors & singers often undertake professional voice training for reasons of articulation and projection, they also learn techniques to ensure damage is minimized and a clinical vocal exam prior to these lessons is advisable to ensure that physically, all is well.
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