phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

What a palava

Posted by Victoria S Dennis on May 05, 2005

In Reply to: What a palava posted by Kim on May 05, 2005

: Can anyone tell me what the saying what a palava means and where does the word palava originate from?

:It's normally spelt "palaver". According to the Oxford English Dictionary it derives from the Portuguese "palavra" meaning "speech" (cognate with the English word "parable")which meant "talk, parley,discussion", specifically between Portuguese traders and West African natives. So "what a palaver" - "what a load of [pointless] discussion".

See, the meaning and origin of the expression 'what a palaver'.

© 1997 – 2024 Phrases.org.uk. All rights reserved.