Colloguing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Conferring in private with someone, often to plot or scheme something without others knowing
2. Holding a secret discussion with another person, usually with a sly or conspiratorial purpose
3. Speaking quietly and privately with an accomplice in order to plan something underhanded

Etymology: The verb "collogue" is a rare word for talking together in secret, and its first recorded form appears in the 1590s as "colloguing." Its exact origin is uncertain, but the most likely source is a blend of "colleague," in the sense of associating with someone, and the French "colloque," meaning a secret meeting. That French word comes from the Latin "colloquium," which also gave English "colloquy," a formal conversation. Behind all of this lies a Latin compound, "collega," meaning a partner in office, which is the ancestor of "colleague." Its second half was tied to Greek "lógos" meaning speech or discourse, and possibly to the Latin verb "loquor," meaning to speak. The word may also have been shaped by "dialogue," which gave it extra pull toward the idea of conversation.