des·ul·to·ry 
(dĕsəl-tôr′ē, dĕz-)
(dĕsəl-tôr′ē, dĕz-)adj.
1. Moving or jumping from one thing to another; disconnected: "She had suddenly begun speaking, after sitting silently through several hours of desultory discussion ... about the Resistance" (Adam Nossiter).
2. Occurring randomly or sporadically. See Synonyms at chance.
[Latin dēsultōrius, leaping, from dēsultor, a leaper, from dēsultus, past participle of dēsilīre, to leap down : dē-, de- + salīre, to jump; see sel- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
des′ul·tori·ly adv.
desul·to′ri·ness n.