The word "parlance" is spelled /ˈpɑː.ləns/ in IPA transcription. The first syllable "par" is pronounced with "a" sound as in "car", followed by the "l" sound from the second syllable "lance", which is pronounced as /læns/ in IPA. "Parlance" refers to a particular way of speaking or the use of specific words within a particular community or group. Its usage can be observed in fields like law, business, and technical jargon, where specialized terminology is used as part of the parlance.
Parlance, noun
[mass noun]
1. A specific manner of speaking or using words that is characteristic of a particular group or profession; a particular style or idiom of language: In medical parlance, the diagnosis is commonly referred to as "pneumonia".
2. The language or way of speaking that is employed in a specific geographical region or social group: In the American South, "y'all" is a popular term used in everyday parlance.
3. The jargon or specialized terminology used within a particular field, industry, or organization: Lawyers often use legal parlance such as "precedent" and "defendant" when discussing court cases.
4. An established phrase, idiom, or figure of speech that is commonly used and recognized within a culture or community: In literature, the phrase "the calm before the storm" is often used in everyday parlance to describe a period of relative quiet or tranquility before a chaotic event.
Originating from the Old French term "parlement" meaning "speech," parlance in English initially referred to formal or official language used during a parliamentary session. Over time, the term broadened to encompass the various manners of speech, idioms, and jargon used within distinct groups or contexts. Parlance implies a degree of specialization or distinctiveness, as it describes the specific language or form of communication used by a particular community, profession, or region.
Conversation; idiom of common talk; in common parlance, in the usual form of speech.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "parlance" originates from the Old French term "parler", which means "to speak". "Parler" comes from the Late Latin word "parabolare", meaning "to speak or talk". Over time, "paraber" evolved into "parlare" in Old Italian, and later into "parler" in Old French. The term "parlance" emerged in English around the 16th century, referring to a particular way of speaking or a particular vocabulary used by a specific group or profession.