parleyvoo en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˌpɑɹ.liˈvu/ (US)
- /ˌpɑː.liˈvuː/ (UK)
Etymology
From French parlez-vous.
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) The French language, especially as understood by an English person.
Lynch. Let him alone. He's back from Paris […] Zoe. O go on! Give us some parleyvoo.
1922 February 2, James Joyce, Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC:
-
(archaic, countable) A French person.
We were hardy British tars who had pity on a poor Parley-voo
1887, Gilbert and Sullivan, “Ruddigore”, in Delphi Complete Works of Gilbert and Sullivan (Illustrated), published 2017, →ISBN:[O]ne of these d—d Parlivoos will go farther with some women in a day, than an Englishman in a month—all owing to their impudence; for a common man has as much impudence in France as a man-midwife has in England.
1789, John Moore, Zeluco, Valancourt, published 2008, page 276:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| parlez-vous | alternative | lexicographic | |
| parlez vous | alternative | lexicographic | |
| parlyvoo | alternative | lexicographic | |
| parley-vous | alternative | lexicographic | |
| parley-voo | alternative | lexicographic | |
| parleyvoos | Number=Plur | lexicographic |