In the Soliloquy lexicon
colloquy
A formal conversation or discussion, especially one involving a small group of people.
Used in a sentence
The seminar concluded with a lively colloquy on language change.
Where it comes from
From Latin colloquium “conversation,” from colloqui “to speak together,” combining com- “together” with loqui “to speak.”
Its journey
Colloquy was born in Latin as colloquium, a “speaking together”, from colloqui, “to converse”: com- meant “together” and loqui “to speak”. It passed through French and medieval learned writing into English in the fourteenth century, first as a conversation or conference, then settling into its modern, slightly formal sense of a small-group discussion.
A small story
In the oak-panelled room, four chairs faced the dying fire, each occupied by someone who had once written to the others in anger. Their colloquy began with the weather, moved carefully through old betrayals, and ended when the clock struck eleven. Outside, rain erased the tracks from the drive.
Nearby words
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