palabra

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish palabra (“word”). Doublet of parable and parabola.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pəˈlɑːbɹə/, /pəˈlæbɹə/
• Hyphenation: pa‧la‧bra

Noun

palabra (plural palabras)

1. (poetic, rare) A word; idle talk.
   • 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

     Comparisons are odorous: palabras, neighbor Verges.

   (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)

Related terms

• palaver
• parable
• parabola
• parlare (“Italian, casual talk”)
• Polari (“homosexual slang, urban English”)

References

• John A. Simpson and Edmund S. C. Weiner, editors (1989), “palabra”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN.

Asturian

Noun

palabra f (plural palabres)

1. alternative form of pallabra

Chavacano

Etymology

Inherited from Spanish palabra, from Old Spanish parabla, from Latin parabola, from Ancient Greek παραβολή (parabolḗ, “comparison; parable”). Doublet of parábola.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /paˈlabɾa/, [paˈla.bɾa]
• Hyphenation: pa‧la‧bra

Noun

palabra

1. word (unit of speech or writing)

Fala

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese palavra, with hyperthesis from earlier paravla, from Late Latin parabola (“comparison; later, speech”), from Ancient Greek παραβολή (parabolḗ, “comparison; parable”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /paˈlabɾa/
• Rhymes: -abɾa
• Syllabification: pa‧la‧bra

Noun

palabra f (plural palabras)

1. word
   • 2000, Domingo Frades Gaspar, Vamus a falal: Notas pâ coñocel y platical en nosa fala, Editora regional da Extremadura, Theme I, Chapter 3: Radós:

     A radón mais grandi pa defendela é que é nossa LENGUA MATERNA, a “primeira lengua que un indivíduu aprendi de maneira ínnconscienti duranti a sua infancia” i en ela han aprindiu a idel as primeiras palabras […]

     The greatest reason to defend it is that it is our NATIVE LANGUAGE, the “first language that an individual learns in an unconscious manner during his infancy” and in it learned how to say his first words […]

References

• Valeš, Miroslav (2021), Diccionariu de A Fala: lagarteiru, mañegu, valverdeñu (web)‎^[1], 2nd edition, Minde, Portugal: CIDLeS, published 2022, →ISBN, page 213

French

Pronunciation

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

• Homophones: palabras, palabrât

Verb

palabra

1. third-person singular past historic of palabrer

Galician

Alternative forms

• palavra (reintegrationist)

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese palavra, with hyperthesis from earlier paravla, from Late Latin, from Latin parabola (“comparison; later, speech”), from Ancient Greek παραβολή (parabolḗ, “comparison; parable”). Doublet of parábola and parola.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /paˈlabɾa/ [paˈla.β̞ɾɐ]
• Rhymes: -abɾa
• Hyphenation: pa‧la‧bra

Noun

palabra f (plural palabras)

1. word

   Synonyms: verba, vocábulo, voz

2. promise
   • 1375, A. López Ferreiro, editor, Galicia Histórica. Colección diplomática, Santiago: Tipografía Galaica, page 381:

     mando que paguem a gomez ballo quanto el diser por sua palaura sem juramento quelle deuo

     I order that they should pay Gómez Ballo whatever he say by his word that I owe him, no oath needed

See also

• termo

References

• Seoane, Ernesto Xosé González; Granja, María Álvarez de la; Agrelo, Ana Isabel Boullón (2006–2022), “palavra”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval [Dictionary of dictionaries of Medieval Galician] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Barreiro, Xavier Varela; Guinovart, Xavier Gómez (2006–2018), “palaura”, in Corpus Xelmírez: corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval [Corpus Xelmírez: linguistic corpus of Medieval Galicia] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “palabra”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “palabra”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “palabra”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN
• “palabra”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026

Old Spanish

Alternative forms

• parabla, paravla

Etymology

From Late Latin parabola, from Latin parabola (“comparison”), from Ancient Greek παραβολή (parabolḗ, “comparison, parable”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /paˈlabɾa/

Noun

palabra f (plural palabras)

1. word
   • c. 1200, Almerich, Fazienda de Ultramar, f. 54r:

     […] ora alcriador e quiçab oẏra al nŕo ſennor las palabras e el orgul de rabceſſe q̃ lo trametio el reẏ de ſur ſo ſeñor por de noſtar al dios uiuo.

     [“ […] Ora al Criador e quiçab oyrá al nuestro Sennor las palabras e el orgul de Rabcesse, que lo trametió el rey de sur so sennor por de nostar al Dios Vivo.”]

     “ […] Pray to the Creator and perhaps Our Lord will hear the words and pride of Rabshakeh, whom the king of the south, his master, sent to defy the Living God.”

2. word, promise
   • c. 1200, Almerich, Fazienda de Ultramar, f. 49r:

     apparecios el nr̃o ſeñor aſalomon e dixol eſta caſa q̃ tu fraguas ſi andares en mẏos fueros e en mios iudicios e ficieres mẏos comendamientos. afirmare mi palabra contigo como fable a dd̃ to padre

     [Appareció-s el nuestro Sennor a Salomon e dixo-l “Esta casa que tu fraguas, si andares en míos fueros e en míos judicios e fizieres míos comendamientos, afirmaré mi palabra contigo como fablé a David to padre.”]

     Our Lord appeared to Solomon and said to him, “[As for] this house you are building; should you follow my statutes and ordinances and carry out my commandments, I will uphold with you my promise, [the one] I spoke to your father David.”

3. story, rumor, account
   • c. 1200, Almerich, Fazienda de Ultramar, f. 54r:

     dixo ẏſaẏas a los menſageros q̃l embio el reẏ ezechias aſſi dizredes al nr̃o ſennor q̃ diz el criador Nõ temas delas menazas q̃ oiſt de los uaſſallos del reẏ de ſur. Afe yo trametre uiẽto ⁊ oyra tal palabra. por q̃stornara aſu tr̃a ⁊ ẏl fara morir aeſpada.

     [Dixo Isaýas a los mensageros que-l embió el rey Ezechias assí: “Dizredes al nuestro sennor que diz el Criador ‘Non temas de las menazas que oist de los vassallos del rey de sur. A fe, yo trametré viento e oyrá tal palabra por que estornará a su tierra e ý-l fará morir a espada.’”]

     Isaiah said the messengers sent to him by king Hezekiah, “You will tell our master that thus says the Creator, ‘Do not fear the threats you have heard from the servants of the king of the south. Lo, I will send wind and he will hear a rumor such that he will return to his land, and there he will be made to die by the sword.’”

Synonyms

• (promise): promessa f

Descendants

• Ladino: palavra / פאלאברה
• Spanish: palabra
  • → English: palabra
  • → French: palabre
  • → Greek: παλάβρα (palávra)
    • → Turkish: palavra, palavara, patavra, partal (dialectal)
      • → Romanian: palavră
  • → Papiamentu: palabra
  • → Tagalog: palabra

Papiamentu

Etymology

From Spanish palabra.

Noun

palabra

1. word

References

• Hassell, E. A. L. (1953), Dictionary English Papiamentu - Papiamentu English‎^[2], San Nicolas: Lago Oil and Transport Co., page 107

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish parabla by metathesis, from Late Latin, from Latin parabola (“comparison; later, speech”), from Ancient Greek παραβολή (parabolḗ, “comparison; parable”). Doublet of parábola, a borrowing. Compare English parley, palaver, parable and parole.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /paˈlabɾa/ [paˈla.β̞ɾa]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Audio (Chile):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -abɾa
• Syllabification: pa‧la‧bra

Noun

palabra f (plural palabras)

1. word

   las palabras de amor ― the words of love

   • 2019 February 17, Francisco Martínez Hoyos, “10 idiomas que se crearon de la nada”, in La Vanguardia‎^[3]:

     Se compone de palabras comunes a los principales idiomas europeos.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2020 March 3, Verónica García, “El idioma de 120 palabras que "te hace feliz", explicado por la única española que lo habla”, in El Confidencial‎^[4]:

     Todos los idiomas tienen una palabra para decir 'amigo', 'futuro' o 'pasado'.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. wording
3. word (promise)

   te doy mi palabra ― I give you my word

Hyponyms

• palabra clave
• palabra compuesta
• palabra mágica

Derived terms

• a buen entendedor, pocas palabras bastan
• a media palabra
• a palabras necias, oídos sordos
• al pie de la palabra
• alzar la palabra
• apalabrar
• buenas palabras
• clase de palabras
• coger la palabra
• coger las palabras
• comerse las palabras
• correr la palabra
• dar la palabra
• de palabra
• de pocas palabras
• Diez Palabras
• en dos palabras
• en otras palabras
• en pocas palabras
• en toda la extensión de la palabra
• en una palabra
• facilidad de palabra
• flujo de palabras
• hacer uso de la palabra
• juego de palabras
• mala palabra
• mudar las palabras
• ni media palabra
• ni palabra
• no decir palabra
• palabra de boca, piedra de honda
• palabra de Dios
• palabra de honor
• palabra de matrimonio
• palabra de rey
• palabra fantasma
• palabra por palabra
• palabra viajera
• palabra y piedra suelta no tiene vuelta
• palabras al aire
• palabras de oráculo
• palabras del presente
• palabras mayores
• palabreja
• palabrero
• palabrota
• pasar la palabra
• pedir la palabra
• remojar la palabra
• sin decir palabra
• sin palabras
• soltar la palabra
• tomar la palabra
• torcer las palabras
• trabarse de palabras
• trocar las palabras
• última palabra
• una imagen vale más que mil palabras
• una palabra

Related terms

• verbal

Descendants

• → English: palabra
• → French: palabre
• → Greek: παλάβρα (palávra)
  • → Turkish: palavra, palavara, patavra, partal (dialectal)
    • → Romanian: palavră
• → Papiamentu: palabra
• → Tagalog: palabra

Further reading

• “palabra”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish palabra, from Old Spanish parabla, from Late Latin, from Latin parabola, from Ancient Greek παραβολή (parabolḗ). Doublet of parabola, parabula, and parol.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /paˈlabɾa/ [pɐˈlaː.bɾɐ]
• Rhymes: -abɾa
• Syllabification: pa‧la‧bra

Noun

palabra (Baybayin spelling ᜉᜎᜊ᜔ᜇ)

1. word

   Synonym: salita

Further reading

• “palabra”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018