Palaverings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Words or discussions characterized by lengthy and often trivial conversation
2. An exchange of ideas or dialogue that is typically verbose and lacking in substance
3. Conversations or talks that tend to meander without achieving a significant point or resolution

Etymology: Palaver has a surprisingly ancient ancestry. It traces back through Portuguese and Late Latin to Ancient Greek "parabolē", a word meaning a comparison or a placing side by side, which is also the source of "parable". The Portuguese "palavra", meaning word, carried the sense of talk, and when Portuguese traders and sailors used it along the West African coast, English speakers borrowed it as "palaver" for a long, idle discussion, often one aimed at persuading or bargaining with people whose language they did not share. "Palaverings" is simply the plural of "palavering", a noun formed from the verb "palaver" with the English suffix "-ing". So it names several instances of that long, roundabout talk, usually with the implication that the talk said little of substance.