Etymology

intonate

I1N1T1O1N1A1T1E1

Today it means: To intone or recite (words), especially emphatically or in a chanting manner. Full definition →

Medieval Latin intonātus
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intonate · verb1

  1. Medieval Latin · borrowed fromintonātus
  2. English todayintonate

First attested in 1795; borrowed from Medieval Latin intonātus, perfect passive participle of intonō (“to vocalize, chant”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from in- (inchoative prefix) + tonus (“pitch, tone”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix); doublet of intone. Cognate with French entonner, Italian intonare.

intonate · verb2

  1. Latin · borrowed fromintonātus
  2. English todayintonate

First attested in 1631; borrowed from Latin intonātus, perfect passive participle of intonō (“to thunder forth”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.