Talk

Talk, tawk, v.i. to speak familiarly: to prattle: to reason.—n. familiar conversation: that which is uttered in familiar intercourse: subject of discourse: rumour.—adjs. Talk′able, capable of talking, or of being talked about; Talk′ative, given to much talking: prating.—adv. Talk′atively.—ns. Talk′ativeness; Talk′ee-talk′ee, a corrupt dialect: incessant chatter—also adj. Talk′y-talk′y.—n. Talk′er.—adj. Talk′ing, given to talking.—Talk against time, to keep on talking merely to fill up time, as often in parliament: Talk big, to talk boastfully; Talk down, to argue down; Talk from the point, to wander away from the proper question; Talk Greek, to talk above the understanding of one's hearers; Talking of, apropos of, with regard to; Talk over, to persuade, convince: to discuss, consider together; Talk round, to exhaust the subject: to bring to one's way of thinking by persuasive talk; Talk shop (see Shop); Talk to, to address: to rebuke; Talk up, to speak impudently or boldly to. [Prof. Skeat takes the M. E. talken from Scand., and that from Lithuanian; Sw. tolka (Ice. túlka), to interpret—Lith. tulkas, an interpreter. Prob., however, the M. E. talken is talen, talien, to speak, with formative -k, giving a freq. or dim. force; cf. Tale.]