early 15c., "showing the person or thing spoken to," from Middle French vocatif, from Latin vocativus (casus) "(case of) calling," from vocatus, past participle of vocare "to call," which is related to vox (genitive vocis) "voice" (from PIE root *wekw- "to speak"). The Latin is a translation of Greek kletike ptosis, from kletikos "related to calling," from kletos "called." As a noun from 1520s.

1800, as a Russian word in English, in a description of late 18th century Russian life where it is described as "rectified corn-spirits;" from Russian vodka, literally "little water," diminutive of voda "water" (from PIE *woda-, suffixed form of root *wed- (1) "water; wet") + diminutive suffix -ka.

late 13c., "sound made by the human mouth," from Old French voiz "voice, speech; word, saying, rumor, report" (Modern French voix), from Latin vocem (nominative vox) "voice, sound, utterance, cry, call, speech, sentence, language, word" (source also of Italian voce, Spanish voz), related to vocare "to call," from PIE root *wekw- "to speak."

Replaced Old English stefn "voice," from Proto-Germanic *stemno, from PIE *stomen- (see stoma). Meaning "ability in a singer" is first attested c. 1600. Meaning "expression of feeling, etc." (in reference to groups of people, etc., such as Voice of America) is recorded from late 14c. Meaning "invisible spirit or force that directs or suggests" (especially in the context of insanity, as in hear voices in (one's) head) is from 1911.