Where does the phrase "as we speak" come from?

Question

I heard this question asked on the radio once and thought it was a stupid question.

Yes, I know that "as we speak, (something happens)" means it is happening in real time. When was it first used? Does it have something to do with early telegraph or radio transmission when people first became aware of "live" broadcast?

Answer 1

Although I suppose it's mostly associated with broadcasting and other instantaneous forms of communication, it doesn't seem to me that those are the only uses. Certainly I've used the phrase when talking to a friend face-to-face, telling them that something is presumably happening at that very moment (or at least that day!). When it started being used, I don't know; it does seem like a relatively recent phrase, but I can't say for certain that it was never used before radio, TV, and telephone came along.

Answer 2

The only reference I could find relating to this is at the site below. It is from January 2004.

It seems like the answer (as with a lot of words) is that nobody knows for sure.