1910–1911
Britannica 11th
Encyclopaedia Britannica · 11th edition
VENTRILOQUISM (Lat. venter, belly, and loqui, to speak), the art of producing the voice in such a manner that it shall appear to proceed, not from the speaker's own mouth, but from some place altogether distant from him. The art of ventriloquism was formerly supposed to result from a peculiar use of the stomach (whence the name) during the process of inhalation. As a matter of fact, the words are formed in the normal manner, but the breath is allowed to escape very slowly, the tones being muffled by narrowing the g…
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- Vol. 27, pp. 1012-1012