maffick

Pronounced: MA-fick, verb

Notes: I don’t want to give away too much of the origin until tomorrow, but I have run across, in British literature, the term from which this word comes (“Mafeking Night”). In the context of reading, I assumed it was some British holiday that I was unaware of; moreover, I had not run across this word. Given the association, some may be able to guess the meaning.

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Yesterday’s word

The word parley means (as a verb) “to have a discussion, especially with an opposing party”. As a noun, it refers to such a discussion. I thought that it meant a truce for the purpose of having a discussion with an opposing party, so I was close, but not quite right.

Background

People with some foreign language may recognize the roots. It came to English from the French word parler (to talk). The French word came from Latin parabolare (to speak or talk). The Spanish word palabra (word) has the same roots.

First usage

The word came into English in the late 1400s.