[RPG] lore-based reason for verbal components in arcane spellcasting

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Somatic components are addressed more or less in the PHB with:

The caster plucks directly at the strands ofthe Weave to create the
desired effect

and

Whenever a magic effect is created, the threads of the Weave
intertwine, twist, and fold to make the effect possible. When
characters use divination spells such as detect magic or identify,
they glimpse the Weave. A spell such as dispel magic smooths the
Weave. Spells such as antimagicfield rearrange the Weave so that magic
flows around, rather than through, the area affected by the spell. And
in places where the Weave is damaged or torn, magic works in
unpredictable ways—or not at all.

So the purpose of somatic components is pretty much spelled out. We might infer that material components might model the shape of the weave alteration you want to produce (as in the real-world principle of sympathetic magic).

But verbal components are not really justified with an in-universe rationale. Divine spell casters could be assumed to be using their words as an invocation or prayer to their otherworldly patron, who is said to mediate for the caster, but this shouldn't apply to arcane spell casting. Why would saying, "Magic Missile in the air, hit that sucker over there" affect the shape of the weave?

Is there a reference—even from a previous edition if it works within the 5e rationale—for verbal components to affect the weave?

Best Answer

From the Verbal Component section of the PHB:

Most spells require the chanting of mystic words. The word's themselves aren’t the source of the spell’s power; rather, the particular combination of sounds, with specific pitch and resonance, sets the threads of magic in motion. [PHB Pg 203]

So the weave is sensitive to a specific combination of words and sound. Similarly, a bard affects the weave with their music. Perhaps we could conclude that the weave is like a giant metallic sheet that envelops the world and resonates in a certain way when sound and music touches it?

You might note that this explains why bards are arcane casters in a similar fashion to wizards - this would make it logically consistent to say that a Wizard and a Bard's verbal components differ from a Clerics or Warlocks, because their words are shaping the weave directly as opposed to entreating their patron.

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