palaver

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Quotations 1.3.2 Translations 1.4 Verb 2 Danish 2.1 Etymology 2.2 Pronunciation 2.3 Noun 2.3.1 Inflection

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

Originally nautical slang, from Portuguese palavra (“‘speech’”), from Late Latin parabola (“‘parable", "speech’”)

[edit] Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /pəˈlɑː.və(ɹ)/, SAMPA: /p@"lA:.v@(r)/
• Rhymes: -ɑːvə(r)

[edit] Noun

palaver (plural palavers)

1. Talk, especially unnecessary talk, fuss.
2. A meeting at which there is much talk.

[edit] Quotations

• 1799, Mungo Park, Travels in the Interior of Africa:

  Here we remained four days, on account of a palaver which was held on the following occasion.

• 1899, Stephen Crane, Active Service:

  Knowing full well the right time and the wrong time for a palaver of regret and disavowal, this battalion struggled in the desperation of despair.

• 1985, Justin Richards, Option Lock, p 229:

  Not for the first time, he reflected that it was not so much the speeches that strained the nerves as the palaver that went with them.

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

to palaver (third-person singular simple present palavers, present participle palavering, simple past and past participle palavered)

1. To discuss with much talk.
   • 1860, Atlantic Monthly, vol. 5, no. 30 (April),

     “That,” he rejoined, “is a way we Americans have. We cannot stop to palaver. What would become of our manifest destiny?”

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[edit] Danish

[edit] Etymology

From English palaver.

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /palavɘr/, [pʰaˈlɒwˀɐ], [pʰaˈlæˀwɐ]

[edit] Noun

palaver c. (singular definite palaveren, plural indefinite palavere)

1. palaver

[edit] Inflection