palaver
UK[pəˈlɑːvə]US[pəˈlævər]
n
prolonged and idle discussion; fuss or bother.
n
a parley or conference, especially between european traders and local people in west africa.
v
to talk unnecessarily at length.
Etymology
the word 'palaver' entered english in the early 18th century from portuguese 'palavra', meaning 'word, speech', which itself derives from latin 'parabola', meaning 'comparison, parable'. latin 'parabola' was borrowed from greek 'parabolē' (a placing beside, comparison). the semantic journey from 'parable' to 'idle talk' is a classic example of pejoration. the specific sense of a conference with local people originated among sailors and traders on the west african coast, where the portuguese term was used for negotiation, which was often perceived by europeans as lengthy and tedious talk.
Analysis
this word is a loanword adopted directly from portuguese, with its ultimate roots in greek and latin. it is not productively formed from separable english morphemes.
Examples
after hours of palaver, the committee had failed to reach a decision.
the explorer recorded the palaver with the village elders in his journal.
stop palavering and get to the point.