Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “palaver” come from?

Palaver comes from Portuguese palavra, from Latin parabola, ultimately derived from Ancient Greek βάλλω meaning to throw or cast.

palaver (English): A village council meeting; Talk, especially...

Definitions

  1. A village council meeting; Talk, especially...

Ancestry of “palaver”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Portuguesepalavraword; the ability or permission to talk; word;...
2Late Latinparabolaparable, speech; speech; A comparison,...
3LatinparabolaA comparison, illustration, likeness; An...
4Ancient Greekπαραβολήa placing of two things side by side,...
5Ancient Greekπαραβάλλωto compare; to set side by side; I set side by...
6Ancient Greekπᾰρᾰ-near; next to; by, near
7Ancient Greekπαρά
8Latinverēdus—
9Gaulishwerēdoshorse
10Proto-Celtic*uɸoreidos—

Words derived from “palaver”

  • palaverer
  • palaverous
  • Palaver
  • palaveri
  • kritiikkipalaveri
  • palaver
Every word from Proto-Celtic *uɸoreidos →