pourparlern.
/ˌpʊəˈpɑːleɪ/, /ˌpɔːˈpɑːleɪ/, U.S. /ˌpʊrpɑrˈleɪ/ Chiefly in plural. An informal discussion or conference as a preliminary to more formal negotiations. Also occasionally as a mass noun.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > speech > conversation > [noun] > topic of or subject for conversation or gossip > discussion > discussion of terms > preliminary
precognit1654
pourparler1709
pourparleying1880
pourparlering1900
round1947
pre-negotiation1957
talks about talks1971
1709 Ld. Godolphin Let. 28 Jan. in H. L. Snyder Marlborough–Godolphin Corr. (1975) III. 1211 Without which [foundation] no step ought to be made to 81 (peace); nor so much as these negociations, or pourparlers as 61 (Buys) used to name them, continued.
1795 Amer. St. Papers, Foreign (1832) I. 716 The pourparlers on foot between the two persons mentioned above.
1831 W. Scott Jrnl. 14 Nov. (1946) 192 After some pourparler, Mr.——..must remain on board.
1883 Pall Mall Gaz. 30 June 8/1 Pourparlers have commenced between the Powers for the creation of a permanent International Sanitary Commission in Egypt.
1904 M. Hewlett Queen's Quair i. iv. 50 After some purparley, at a privy audience, he came to what he called ‘close quarters’.
1933 H. Allen Anthony Adverse III. vii. xlvii. 707 Pourparlers had rapidly changed into conversations.
1974 ‘M. Innes’ Mysterious Comm. i. 14 It was a shade unusual,..so Honeybath thought, for pourparlers to be opened through a person of Mr Peach's sort.
1998 Mod. Asian Stud. 32 297 He left the decision on how to proceed to the Select Committee, to whom he sent a detailed relation..of his pourparler with both merchants and nobles.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1709