palaver [E18th] When early Portuguese traders in West Africa had disputes or misunderstandings with the locals they used the Portuguese word palavra, literally ‘word, speech’, to mean ‘a talk between local people and traders’. The Africans picked up the term from them, and in time passed it on to English sailors. In English palaver first meant a prolonged and tedious discussion, then in the late 19th century a fuss, commotion, or rigmarole. The Portuguese palavra developed from Latin parabola ‘*parable’.