Parlaunce

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Archaic word for talk, speech, or the manner in which someone conversed with others
2. An old term for spoken discourse, conversation, or a way of expressing oneself in words
3. Obsolete noun meaning speech, dialogue, or the act of talking together with another person

Etymology: Behind this word's talk sits a parable. Old French "parler", meaning "to speak", descends from Late Latin "parabolare", a verb built on the Latin "parabola", meaning comparison or parable. Ordinary speech and storytelling by analogy share a root. "Parlaunce" is a Middle English form borrowed from Old French "parlance", itself formed from "parler" plus a suffix that turns a verb into a noun for the act or manner of doing it. The Middle English spelling is now obsolete, and modern English keeps the French-derived form "parlance", which still means a particular way of speaking, as in "legal parlance".