Word of the Day

Monday, November 04, 2002

parley

\PAR-lee\ , noun;

A conference or discussion, especially with an enemy, as with regard to a truce or other matters.

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Quotes:

The government recognized his knack for parleying with tribes, and it sent him all over the West.

-- Geoffrey O'Gara, What You See in Clear Water

Whether the Indians came out to parley or, seeing that the fort was about to fall, came out to surrender is unclear.

-- Willard Sterne Randall, George Washington: A Life

In case of Servia's non-compliance with the ultimatum the army will invade the kingdom without further parley.

-- "Austria Ready to Invade Servia Sends Ultimatum", New York Times, July 24, 1914

Origin:

Parley comes from Old French parlée, from parler, "to speak," from Medieval Latin parabolare, from Late Latin parabola, "a proverb, a parable, a similitude," from Greek parabole, "a comparison, a placing beside," from paraballein, "to throw beside, hence to compare," from para-, "beside" + ballein, "to throw."