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1. A monologue, especially in a play, that is delivered by a character who is alone or unaware of the presence of other characters and that reveals the thoughts or feelings of that character.
2. The act of speaking to oneself.
[Late Latinsōliloquium : Latinsōlus, alone; see s(w)e- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + Latinloquī, to speak; see tolkw- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:
The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.