Palterer

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Someone who quibbles or speaks insincerely to evade the truth ; a person who bargains deceitfully or equivocates to mislead ; one who avoids giving direct answers or obscures facts through ambiguous talk
2. An individual who dodges straightforwardness by using ambiguous or deceptive language ; a negotiator who engages in equivocation to gain advantage ; someone prone to hedging the truth or using cunning in conversation
3. A person known for prevaricating instead of being candid ; someone who haggles by misleading or equivocating rather than being honest ; one who habitually obscures the facts through crafty or evasive speech

Etymology: The verb "palter" is the root here, and the interesting part is what it meant before it became a term for slippery talk. To palter was to trade or haggle in a shifty way, and by extension to deal in evasions, shuffle words, or equivocate. The word carries that sense of a bargain made with a crooked hand. The "-er" ending is the ordinary English agent suffix, which tacks onto a verb to name the person who does the action, as in "baker" or "singer." So a palterer is simply one who palters: someone who plays fast and loose with the truth in order to avoid a straight answer. Nothing more is hidden in the formation; it is a transparent English coinage built from an existing verb. The suffix itself has a long pedigree, reaching back through Old French and Latin to ancient roots, and the same ending appears throughout English nouns for doers and workers. But for this word, the story that matters is the shift in "palter" from commercial dealing to dishonest speech.

Synonyms: equivocator, prevaricator, deceiver, liar

Antonyms: truth-teller, honest person, straight-talker