collogue

Oct. 13th, 2011 07:15 am
prettygoodword: text: words are sexy (Default)
[personal profile] prettygoodword
collogue (kuh-LOHG) - v., to confer secretly, chat, be on intimate terms with someone; (dialect) to conspire; intrigue.


According to the American Heritage Dictionary, which tends to be pretty accurate about US regionalisms,* that last meaning is "Chiefly Upper Southern U.S." Its original sense, when introduced in the 1590s, was more like "to curry favor, to flatter," but its origin is unknown -- possiblities mooted include perhaps blend of collude and dialogue; an obsolete verb sense of colleague, to be or act as a colleague, and thence to conspire, influenced by Latin colloquī to talk with; and French colloque, conference or consultation.

* It's the only dictionary I know that gets right the New Mexico usages of farolito and luminaria.

---L.

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