imparlance

noun — 2 senses

imparlance

noun

Etymology Ultimately from Anglo-Norman emparlance, from the verb Old French emparler.

1

Obsolete Discussion, especially before some action is taken; conference, debate.

  • Full oftentimes did Britomart assay / To speake to them, and some emparlance move; / But they for nought their cruell hands would stay […].1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
2

Law Obsolete Time given to a party to talk or converse with his opponent, originally with the object of effecting, if possible, an amicable adjustment of the suit, but also used to obtain further time to plead or answer allegations.

  • [W]ith Rejoinders and Replies, / Long Bills, and Anſvvers, ſtuft vvith Lies, / Demurr, Imparlance, and Eſſoign, / The Parties ne'er could Iſſue join: / For Sixteen Years the Cauſe vvas ſpun, / And then ſtood vvhere it firſt begun.1726, [Jonathan Swift], Cadenus and Vanessa. A Poem, London: […] J. Roberts […], →OCLC, page 9:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.