Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “parlen” come from?

parlen (Middle English) comes from Middle French parler, from Old French parler, from Latin parabolō, from Latin parabola, from Ancient Greek παραβολή, from Ancient Greek παραβάλλω, from Ancient Greek πᾰρᾰ-, from Ancient Greek παρά.

Ancestry of “parlen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchparlerto speak; to talk
2Old Frenchparlerto speak; to talk
3Latinparabolō—
4LatinparabolaA comparison, illustration, likeness; An...
5Ancient Greekπαραβολήa placing of two things side by side,...
6Ancient Greekπαραβάλλωto compare; to set side by side; I set side by...
7Ancient Greekπᾰρᾰ-near; next to; by, near
8Ancient Greekπαρά
9Latinverēdus—
10Gaulishwerēdoshorse
11Proto-Celtic*uɸoreidos—
Every word from Proto-Celtic *uɸoreidos →