palaver
See also: Palaver
English
Etymology
Originally nautical slang, from Portuguese palavra (“word”), from Late Latin parabola (“parable, speech”). The term's use (especially in Africa) mimics the evolution of the word moot. As such, for sense development, see moot. Doublet of parable, parole, and parabola.
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "UK" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /pəˈlɑː.və(ɹ)/
Audio (AU): (file) - Rhymes: -ɑːvə(r)
Noun
palaver (countable and uncountable, plural palavers)
- (Africa) A village council meeting.
- 1799, Mungo Park, Travels in the Interior of Africa[1]:
- Here we remained four days, on account of a palaver which was held on the following occasion.
- Talk, especially unnecessary talk; chatter.
- 1886, Henry James, The Princess Casamassima.
- These remarks were received with a differing demonstration: some of the company declaring that if the Dutchman cared to come round and smoke a pipe they would be glad to see him—perhaps he'd show where the thumbscrews had been put on; others being strongly of the opinion that they didn't want any more advice—they had already had advice enough to turn a donkey's stomach. What they wanted was to put forth their might without any more palaver; to do something, or for some one; to go out somewhere and smash something, on the spot—why not?—that very night.
- 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.
- 1979, V. S. Naipaul, A Bend in the River:
- Some of the palavers could take half a day.
- 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.
- 1886, Henry James, The Princess Casamassima.
- Talk intended to deceive.
- Fuss.
- What a palaver!
- A meeting at which there is much talk; a debate; a moot.
- Carlyle
- this epoch of parliaments and eloquent palavers
- Carlyle
- (informal) Disagreement.
- I have no palaver with him.
Synonyms
- (unnecessary talk): hot air, janglery; See also Thesaurus:chatter
- (fuss): ado, bother; See also Thesaurus:commotion
Translations
unnecessary talk, fuss
|
a meeting at which there is much talk
|
Verb
palaver (third-person singular simple present palavers, present participle palavering, simple past and past participle palavered)
- 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?”
- 1860, Atlantic Monthly, vol. 5, no. 30 (April),
- To flatter.
Synonyms
- jabber, rabbit, yak; See also Thesaurus:prattle
Danish
Etymology
Borrowed from English palaver.
Pronunciation
Noun
palaver c (singular definite palaveren, plural indefinite palavere)
Inflection
Declension of palaver
common gender |
Singular | Plural | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
indefinite | definite | indefinite | definite | |
nominative | palaver | palaveren | palavere | palaverne |
genitive | palavers | palaverens | palaveres | palavernes |
Categories:
- English terms borrowed from Portuguese
- English terms derived from Portuguese
- English terms derived from Late Latin
- English doublets
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ɑːvə(r)
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- African English
- English terms with quotations
- English informal terms
- English verbs
- Danish terms borrowed from English
- Danish terms derived from English
- Danish terms with IPA pronunciation
- Danish lemmas
- Danish nouns
- Danish common-gender nouns