Linguacious

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. exhibiting a strong tendency towards prolonged and excessive verbal expression showing a remarkable inclination for lengthy discussions and chatter characterized by a habit of engaging in verbose and talkative exchanges
2. Having a marked tendency to talk at length or engage in extended conversations
3. Displaying a notable inclination to speak a great deal and often with enthusiasm

Etymology: "Linguacious" is a deliberate formation from Latin, built on "lingua," the word for "tongue," which is also the source of "language" and "linguistics." The Latin adjective "linguax," meaning talkative, was itself a close equivalent of "loquacious," which comes from "loqui," to speak. English took the Latin root and attached the ending "-acious," which appears in other words such as "audacious" and "tenacious," reflecting that same Latin suffix. The result is a word that seems to promise more than it delivers. "Linguacious" is simply a synonym for "loquacious," so the two words differ only in which Latin root they draw on: one from "tongue," the other from "speak." Anyone who knows "lingua" from words like "bilingual" or "linguist" can unlock the meaning of "linguacious" without ever having learned it.

Synonyms: talkative, loquacious, chatty, garrulous, verbose

Antonyms: silent, quiet, reserved, reticent, taciturn