Enunciations

Enunciations is the plural of enunciation. The term has two common senses. In everyday usage, enunciation refers to clear articulation or pronunciation of speech, especially the consonants, vowels, and syllables in a way that aids intelligibility. In linguistics and semiotics, enunciation (often treated as énonciation) denotes the act of producing an utterance within a social and communicative context—the speaker's stance, intention, time, and place shaping meaning. In this sense, enunciation is distinct from the content of what is said (the enoncé).

Etymology and scope: Enunciation derives from Latin enuntiare “to declare,” via Old French, with the English form dating to early modern usage. The plural enunciations can refer to multiple acts of uttering statements, or to formal declarations or policy statements presented as positions or principles.

Applications: In linguistics, enunciation is used to analyze how language is produced and interpreted in real interaction, including prosody, perspective, and deixis. In rhetoric and philosophy, it is used to examine the relationship between speaker, audience, and message. In law and public discourse, “enunciations” may refer to formal pronouncements, declarations of policy, or stated principles.

Related terms: enunciation and énonciation are closely connected concepts used across linguistic and literary theory to distinguish the act of speaking from the content of what is spoken.