[mass noun]the expression of or the ability to express thoughts and feelings by articulate sounds 说话;言语 he was born deaf and without the power of speech. 他生来就失聪,没有说话的能力。 ■a person's style of speaking 说话方式 she wouldn't accept his correction of her speech. 她不会接受他纠正她的说话方式。
a formal address or discourse delivered to an audience 演说;发言 the headmistress made a speech about how much they would miss her. 女校长发言说他们会非常想念她。 ■a sequence of lines written for one character in a play (戏剧)台词
speechful adjective 语源
Old English spræc, sprēc, later spēc, of West Germanic origin: related to Dutch spraak, German Sprache, also to speak