parley

English

Etymology

From Old French parler (“to talk; to speak”), from Vulgar Latin *paraulare (“to speak”), from Late Latin parabolare, from Latin parabola (“comparison”), from Ancient Greek παραβολή, from παρά (“beside”) with βολή (“throwing”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈpɑrli/; (some non-rhotic accents) IPA: /ˈpɑːlɪ/

Noun

parley (plural parleys)

1. A conference, especially one between enemies.
   • Dryden

     We yield on parley, but are stormed in vain.

   • 1920, Peter B. Kyne, The Understanding Heart, Chapter IV

     Without further parley Garland rode off up the hog's–back and the sheriff rode off down it …

Translations

conference

• French: pourparlers (fr) m

• Latin: colloquium (la)

Verb

parley (third-person singular simple present parleys, present participle parleying, simple past and past participle parleyed)

1. (intransitive) To have a discussion, especially one between enemies.
   • 1638 Herbert, Sir Thomas Some years travels into divers parts of Asia and Afrique

     ...at day break we found the villaine, who, loath to parlee in fire and ſhot, fled amaine and left us...

See also

• parlay
• parle

Anagrams

• pearly
• player
• replay

References

• “parley” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).