German

Alternative forms

• Palaber (nonstandard; reflecting the informal pronunciation)

Noun

Palaver n ‎(genitive Palavers, no plural)

1. palaver; idle talk

Declension

English

Noun

palaver ‎(plural palavers)

1. (Africa) A village council meeting, a folkmoot
   • 1799, Mungo Park, Travels in the Interior of Africa:

     Here we remained four days, on account of a palaver which was held on the following occasion.

2. Talk, especially unnecessary talk, fuss.
   • 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.

   • 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.

3. A meeting at which there is much talk; a debate, a moot.
   • Carlyle

     This epoch of parliaments and eloquent palavers.

4. (informal) Disagreement

   I have no palaver with him.

Translations

Verb

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

1. 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?”

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:chatter

Danish

Etymology

Borrowing from English palaver.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

palaver c (singular definite palaveren, plural indefinite palavere)

1. palaver

Inflection