[Vocabulary] meaning of "plum-voiced" and "either touching or profoundly naive"

[KuaiLe]

meaning of "plum-voiced" and "either touching or profoundly naive"

Dear all,

I'm reading The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett and there are two ideas in the following paragraph that I don't understand:

"The leader of the women’s commune was a stout, plum-voiced woman. She decided, with an idealism that was either touching or profoundly naive, to found a ‘new matriarchal co-operative community’. Eva was sceptical: how, she had asked them, could a truly co-operative community exclude half the population?"

Firstly, I can't imagine what kind of voice is "plum-voiced". Is it sharp or hoarse? Is it pleasant or not? Secondly, even though I looked up the dictionary for those adejectives, I still don't understand what "either touching or profoundly naive" means. Can anybody explain the ideas for me?

 

[Dena11]

Re: meaning of "plum-voiced" and "either touching or profoundly naive"

Hi KuaiLe, I'm not sure about plum-voiced, it's not a term I've ever heard. My guess is that it is round and smooth, like a plum. But, perhaps, someone else will know for sure. To say that someone's idealism is "touching" is to say that it is "moving" in an emotional sense. To say that it is "profoundly naive" is to say that it is deeply naive or unworldly. You can find synonyms and definitions of "naive" in any dictionary.

I hope that helps.

 

[bhaisahab]

Re: meaning of "plum-voiced" and "either touching or profoundly naive"

Have a look at defintion#3 here: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/plummy

 

[Johnyxxx]

Re: meaning of "plum-voiced" and "either touching or profoundly naive"

Is it possible the sentence an idealism that was either touching or profoundly naive describes two levels of impression made on people around her? Some were moved by her idealism (probably ironically, looking at her with forebearing smiles), some openly laughed at the sheer naivity of her idealism.

 

[KuaiLe]

Re: meaning of "plum-voiced" and "either touching or profoundly naive"

Is it possible the sentence an idealism that was either touching or profoundly naive describes two levels of impression made on people around her? Some were moved by her idealism (probably ironically, looking at her with forebearing smiles), some openly laughed at the sheer naivity of her idealism.

Thanks a lot. I think your suggestion has clarified my confusion.