Volume Once Meant a Rolled Scroll
Volume means a book, a quantity of space, or loudness. All three come from the Latin for something rolled up.
Volume means a book, an amount of space, or a level of sound. Latin *volumen* was a roll of parchment, from *volvere*, to roll — so a volume was a scroll. The book sense came first, then the size of that roll gave the sense of bulk and capacity, and only in the nineteenth century did volume come to mean loudness. Three quite different meanings from one rolled-up sheet.
- A book. *Volume three.*
- A quantity of space. *The volume of a cylinder.*
- Loudness. *Turn the volume down.*
- An amount. *Trading volume.*
- Voluminous — very large, or copious. *Voluminous notes.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | volume | A slim volume. |
| Plural | volumes | Twelve volumes. |
| Adjective | voluminous | Voluminous skirts. |
| Latin | volvere | To roll. |
| Related | revolve | Revolving door. |
- The set runs to eight volumes.Books.
- Calculate the volume in cubic metres.Geometry.
- Turn the volume up.Sound.
The volvere family
- Revolve — to roll back around
- Involve — to roll something in
- Evolve — to roll out, to unfold
- Revolution — a full turn, then a political overturning
- Vault — through French, from the same rolling idea
Old French *volume*, from Latin *volumen*, a roll of writing, from *volvere*, to roll. English has used it since the 1300s, and the loudness sense from the 1800s.
Why does volume mean loudness?
Through the sense of bulk. A larger volume of sound means more of it, and the word settled into audio use in the nineteenth century.
Are volume and revolve related?
Yes. Both come from Latin volvere, to roll.