Where stuttering got its name
Posted by staff / March 3, 2011
With The King’s Speech making a sweep of the Oscars on Sunday, you might be curious to know more about the history of this famous speech impediment, which not only afflicted King George VI but Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill and James Earl Jones.
As Dictionary.com explains:
Stutter, or the Greek alalia syllabaris, is onomatopoeic – a word that suggests the sound that it describes – derived from the Middle English stutte or “stop.” The evolution of the word can be found in John Skelton’s 1529 verse: “Her fellow did stammer and stut.”
Although stress appears to exacerbate the condition, which has its roots in “both genetics and brain development,” stutterers may find some comfort in knowing they’re in such illustrious company.
Full story at Dictionary.com.
May I add that "stutter" and "stammer" are the same thing. Some people think they are terms for different speech problems. "Stutter" is used in the USA and "stammer" in other countries. Also, The Stuttering Foundation is a great source of help and information. They have free e-books, videos, and brochures at http://www.stutteringhelp.org.