entry
colloquial
/kəˈloʊ.kwi.əl/Informal language suited to familiar conversation
From Latin con- (together) + Latin loquor (to speak).
from Latin colloquium (“conference, conversation”)
Word Ancestry
from Latin colloquium (“conference, conversation”)
Picture two Romans leaning across a table, not delivering a grand speech but simply speaking together: that is the scene hidden inside Latin colloquium. Its first element, con-, means “together,” while loquor means “I speak”—the same speech family that eventually gives English words such as eloquent, locution, and soliloquy. English borrowed colloquy in the mid-15th century, and by 1751 colloquial had appeared for language belonging to conversation rather than the polished machinery of formal prose. The distinction became especially useful as English writers began separating everyday talk from literary or elevated style. So when a phrase sounds like something a real person would say over coffee—not something engraved on a monument—it is carrying the ancient Roman idea of people simply speaking together.
The Story
Picture two Romans leaning across a table, not delivering a grand speech but simply speaking together: that is the scene hidden inside Latin colloquium. Its first element, con-, means “together,” while loquor means “I speak”—the same speech family that eventually gives English words such as eloquent, locution, and soliloquy. English borrowed colloquy in the mid-15th century, and by 1751 colloquial had appeared for language belonging to conversation rather than the polished machinery of formal prose. The distinction became especially useful as English writers began separating everyday talk from literary or elevated style. So when a phrase sounds like something a real person would say over coffee—not something engraved on a monument—it is carrying the ancient Roman idea of people simply speaking together.
Modern Usage
A vulgar slang verb meaning to ejaculate, according to an Urban Dictionary entry; this is nonstandard and rare.
Kin & Kindred
From 'con-'·together, with
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'loquor'·to speak
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Etymonline
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary
Wikipedia