palaver

Pronunciation

• IPA: /pəˈlɑː.və(ɹ)/ (UK)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Portuguese palavra (“word, speech”),^[2][3][4][5] from Late Latin parabola (“speech, parable”),^[2][3][4][5] from Latin parabola “comparison”.^[3] Etymonline calls it a doublet of parole, and says it was picked up by English sailors in West Africa, where the Portuguese word was a traders’ term for negotiating with local people.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It first meant a long talk or conference, especially between European traders or officials and local people in Africa.^[3][6][4]

Semantic evolution

Contempt for such long talks gave the sense “idle, profuse talk”, recorded by 1748,^[3][6] and also talk meant to flatter or cajole.^[6][2] In British colloquial use it can mean a tiresome business or fuss.^[6][1]

Timeline

• 1733 – implied in palavering, and as a verb.^[3][6]
• 1735 – noun, a parley or conference.^[6][4]
• 1744 – flattering or cajoling talk.^[6]
• 1748 – idle, profuse talk.^[3][6]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. Idle or lengthy chatter.
2. Talk intended to charm or beguile.
3. A long parley, especially historically between Europeans and local people in Africa.
4. (British, colloquial) A fuss or tiresome business.

Verb

1. To talk idly and at length.
2. To flatter or cajole.

Word family

• palaverer
• palaverment
• palaverous

Related words

• parable
• parole
• parley

References

1. [1] [2] Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. [1] [2] [3] The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. [1] [2] [3] [4] Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. [1] [2] Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
6. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press