Volubility

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of speaking easily and at length with readiness and fluency
2. A tendency to talk freely, smoothly, and incessantly in conversation
3. The characteristic of expressing oneself with copious, effortless, and rapid speech

Etymology: Latin "volubilis" meant "rolling" or "turning round," from "volvere," "to roll," and it gave English "voluble," which first described things that could turn or revolve, such as the twining stems of climbing plants. The sense of talking easily and endlessly came later, as a figurative extension of a tongue or speaker that seemed to roll along without a catch. "Volubility" adds the suffix "-ity," which turns an adjective into a noun of quality, so the word names the condition of being voluble. It was borrowed from Latin "volubilitas," which carried the same root idea of rolling or turning, so the noun has kept the image of smooth, unhindered motion even in its conversational sense.

Synonyms: fluency, eloquence, articulateness, garrulity

Antonyms: tacitness, reticence, inarticulateness