![]() 12 448, I also spoke to the principal surgeons‥on the subject of vaccination. 234 They spake to me of the various Works of Nature. 492/1, I have‥spoke to the King of England‥about your Friend. 17 Behold the man whom I spake to thee of. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 727/1, I speke to him of my busynes. 3204 What Scholen we don of this mateer That he to vs spak of now heer? ? c1200 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l.342 It was too late that night to speak to her. 21 How I remember the first time I ever saw you ‘to speak to’. 165 What reply she made I do not know, being speaking to Wildly at the same time. 216 Commanded by a Voice, as one man speaketh to another. (1656) 15 When he speaks aloof to her, she answereth aloof to him. 13 b, If‥you resalute not a friend, he will speake no more to you. i iiij v, Thus to the Cardinall he spake. 69, I wold haue spoke to them but I ne myght nought. c1000 West Saxon Gospels: John (Corpus Cambr.) x.OE Beowulf 1171 Þu on sælum wes‥ond to Geatum spræc mildum wordum.1837), so as to have conversation or personal acquaintance with one. To address words or discourse to (a person) to talk to, converse with. The phrasal verb “to speak to ━━” has several senses. So if it indeed true that “speaking with someone” is now perceived to be somehow un-British, this is not reflected in the OED as of 1989, nor in the English literature citated. 134 When any temptation desires to speak with you, let the answer be ready, that there is other company within. 58 Not for three years to speak with any men. 140 Your uncle‥has been spoken with, and declines visiting you. 1816 Scott Old Mortality vii, in Tales of my Landlord 1st Ser.67 Not to be spoke with! Don't tell me, Sir he must, he shall. 2/1 He is any time to be spoke with from eight in the Morning to four in the Afternoon. Factories India 1622–3 (1908) 10 They both retired themselves to there privacy, soe that wee could not then speake with them. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 727/2 He shalbe spoken with towchyng your cause. 48 They spak with the knyghtes & welcomed hem. Audelay Poems (1931) 17 Ȝe spekyn with Hym in spyrit. a1250 Owl & Nightingale 1553 Ne mot no mon wiþ hire speke.85 Alse wise hire lerden, þanne hie wið hire speken. In Old English and early Middle English similarly with mid. To converse with, talk to to consult or confer with.Here is the first sense for “to speak with ━━ ”: The OED makes does not call out either of the two phrasal verbs “to speak with ━━” or “ to speak to ━━” as being more commonly seen in Britain vs elsewhere. Only the latter is called out as now being chiefly North American in contemporary usage, and even there many illustrations from British literature of an era slightly earlier than our own are given. You will note in the reference citation that speak is from the OED2 in 1989, whereas talk is from the OED3 in 2001. This answer has two portions, one on to speak with/to, which is what the question asked, and one on to meet with, which came up in comments to another answer. ![]()
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