Chattery

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Exhibiting a tendency for lively, rapid conversations or discussions
2. Characterized by frequent or excessive talking in a lively manner
3. Having a habit of engaging in quick, spirited conversations with others

Etymology: "Chattery" is a plain case: it is the adjective "chatter" with the suffix "-y" added, meaning given to chatter or fond of talking. The suffix comes from Old English "-ig," a word-forming ending meaning "full of" or "having the quality of," which over the centuries wore down to the simple "-y" seen in countless English adjectives like "rainy" or "sleepy." The root "chatter" is imitative, meaning it was formed to echo the sound it describes, the rapid, repeated clicking and jabbering of speech or of birds. Its ancestors appear in Middle English as "cheteren" and "chiteren," and it is the same kind of sound-based coinage as words like "babble" and "twitter." The sense of rapid, noisy talk came first, and the idea of teeth chattering in the cold follows the same sound pattern.

Synonyms: talkative, chatty, garrulous, loquacious, verbose

Antonyms: reticent, silent, reserved