Etymology Originally nautical slang, from Portuguese palavra (“word”), from Late Latin parabola (“parable, speech”). The term's use (especially in Africa) mimics the evolution of the word moot. As such, for sense development, see moot. Doublet of parable, parole, and parabola.
Here we remained four days, on account of a palaver which was held on the following occasion.1799, Mungo Park, Travels in the Interior of Africa:
That night the village warriors held a big palaver to celebrate their victories, and to choose a new chief.1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 148:
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Canada, US, Archaic, In Britain Talk, especially unnecessary talk; chatter.
Frances pulled his hair heartily, and then went and seated herself on her husband’s knee, and there they were, like two babies, kissing and talking nonsense by the hour—foolish palaver that we should be ashamed of.1847, Emily Brontë, chapter III, in Wuthering Heights:
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.1886, Henry James, The Princess Casamassima, London: Macmillan and Co.:
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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.1899, Stephen Crane, Active Service:
Some of the palavers could take half a day.1979, V. S. Naipaul, A Bend in the River:
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UK Mentally draining activity, either physical or fuss.
What a palaver!
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.1985, Justin Richards, Option Lock, page 229:
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What's the good of going through all this palaver of giving very small sums to very obscure charities?1988, Lord Grimond, House of Lords vol 492 col 695
We fill up the bathtub for a proper bath maybe once a month because it is such a palaver. We have a 150 litre pot and a 60 litre pot that we have to fill up and boil on the wood stove which takes hours.2021 February 22, “Life slows down’: the islander who swapped Shetland for living off-grid in a Norway forest”, in Shetland News:
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A meeting at which there is much talk; a debate; a moot.
this country and epoch of parliaments and eloquent palavers1851, Thomas Carlyle, The Life of John Sterling, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC:
Etymology Originally nautical slang, from Portuguese palavra (“word”), from Late Latin parabola (“parable, speech”). The term's use (especially in Africa) mimics the evolution of the word moot. As such, for sense development, see moot. Doublet of parable, parole, and parabola.
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To discuss with much talk.
“Come, come, Captain Bildad; stop palavering,—away!” and with that, Peleg hurried him over the side, and both dropt into the boat.1851, Herman Melville, Moby Dick, chapter 21:
“That,” he rejoined, “is a way we Americans have. We cannot stop to palaver. What would become of our manifest destiny?”1860 April, Atlantic Monthly, volume 5, number 30:
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To flatter.
Dodd never spoke to his officers like a ruffian, nor yet palavered them.1863, Charles Reade, Hard Cash: