Is the usage of “speaks to” new? Is it American?

Question

Two examples from Google:

Doris McCarthy exhibit speaks to the artist as lover of life

and

A scribble that speaks to wild nature of art

Is this use of 'speaks to' new? I seem to have only started to hear it about a year ago, and now I hear it everywhere. Is it American?

Answer 1

This post on Language Log is interesting. It suggests that "speak to [some concept]" has been documented since about 400 years ago, though there's some disagreement about how long it's been used in news publishing.

Personally, I think it feels awkward, as though there must be some neater, more established verb we could drop in instead, but I just can't think of one.

Answer 2

The Wiktionary mentions 3 usages:

1/ (idiomatic) To give evidence regarding something; to attest for.

^{2006 Staff of Vault, The College Buzz Book, page 176:}

This definitely speaks to the fact that at Georgetown, beginning at the admissions process, you're not a number but a real person.

2/ (idiomatic) To address a particular topic.

^{1981, McGill journal of education}

Education for being speaks to what grows within the person himself

3/ (idiomatic) To resonate with, to strike a chord in.

His music really speaks to me.

All three usages don't seem particularly new.