Wiktionary

palaver

See also: Palaver

English

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WOTD – 13 October 2009

Etymology

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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

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Noun

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palaver (countable and uncountable, plural palavers)

  1. (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.
  2. (Canada, US, archaic in Britain) Talk, especially unnecessary talk; chatter. [from 18th c.]
    • 1847, Emily Brontë, chapter III, in Wuthering Heights‎[2]:
      Frances pulled his hair heartily, and then went and seated herself on her husband’s knee, and there they were, like two babies, kissing and talking nonsense by the hour—foolish palaver that we should be ashamed of.
    • 1886, Henry James, The Princess Casamassima, London: Macmillan and Co.:
      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.
  3. (British) Mentally draining activity, either physical or fuss.
    What a palaver!
  4. A meeting at which there is much talk; a debate; a moot.
  5. (informal) Disagreement.
    I have no palaver with him.
  6. Talk intended to deceive. [from 19th c.]

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • → Danish: palaver
  • → Finnish: palaveri
  • → German: Palaver
  • → Hungarian: paláver
  • → Swedish: palaver

Translations

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Verb

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

  1. (intransitive) To discuss with much talk.
    Synonyms: jabber, rabbit, yak; see also Thesaurus:prattle
    • 1851, Herman Melville, Moby Dick‎[3], chapter 21:
      “Come, come, Captain Bildad; stop palavering,—away!” and with that, Peleg hurried him over the side, and both dropt into the boat.
    • 1860 April, Atlantic Monthly, volume 5, number 30:
      “That,” he rejoined, “is a way we Americans have. We cannot stop to palaver. What would become of our manifest destiny?”
  2. (transitive) To flatter.

References

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Danish

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English palaver.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /palavɘr/, [pʰaˈlɒwˀɐ], [pʰaˈlæˀwɐ]

Noun

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palaver c (singular definite palaveren, plural indefinite palavere)

  1. palaver

Inflection

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Declension of palaver
common
gender 		singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative palaver palaveren palavere palaverne
genitive palavers palaverens palaveres palavernes

Dutch

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Portuguese palavra. Doublet of parool, parabool, and parabel.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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palaver n (plural palavers, diminutive palavertje n)

  1. A discussion or debate.

Derived terms

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Swedish

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Noun

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palaver ?

  1. palaver
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