What is the Latin word for gossip?

The usual Latin words for “gossip” are loquāx, vulgō, fāmĭgĕrātor; also rūmĭgĕrŭlus, combibō, compōtor. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“gossip” in Latin

loquāxtalkative, chatty, loquacious vulgōto broadcast; to publish; to divulge; to issue; to make known among the people; to make common; to prostitute; to make k fāmĭgĕrātora talebearer rūmĭgĕrŭlusthat spreads reports combibōto drink with any one as a companion compōtordrinking companion sodāliscompanion, mate, fellow, intimate, comrade, crony; member or fellow of an organisation; accomplice, conspirator sermōa conversation, discussion; a rumor, diction, speech, talk, discourse; a language, manner of speaking improbusexcessive, immoderate, flagrant, impudent; greedy, wanton, ravenous; wicked, bad, villainous, immoral, impious, maliciou anīlisof or pertaining to an old woman; old-womanish; anile

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

gossip s.

homo garrulus: loquax (that talks much): vulgator (publisher of news, etc., Ov.): famigerator (comedy, a malicious talkative fellow): rumigerulus (late; Ammian): combibo (litterally, a bottle-companion): compotor: sodalis (companion). Feminine, garrula: *vulgatrix: *famigeratrix.

Idle talk, sermo: sermones (talk): *sermones falsi, or improbi, or aniles (i. e., old woman’s talk): garritus: confabulatio: foolish or idle gossip, rumusculi imperitorum hominum. To have a gossip with anybody, fabulari or confabulari cum aliquo: to have a gossip together, fabulari inter se: sermones caedere (λόγους κόπτειν): I often have a gossip with anybody, cum aliquo fabulor insusurrans ac praebens invicem aurem (Suet., Caes., 22).

Godfather or godmother, Vid: GOSSIP, v. To chat, Vid :; and GOSSIP, s. To gossip about anything, evulgare: divulgare: effutire foris [SYN. in DIVULGARE]. To gossip about anybody, or anybody’s affairs, aliquem differre rumoribus (maliciously): a gossiping set or party, sessiuncula (Cic., Fin., 5, 20, 56). A gossiping town, urbs sermonum avida: I should like to gossip with you longer, cupiebam (in a letter) plura garrire.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for gossip?: The usual Latin words for “gossip” are loquāx, vulgō, fāmĭgĕrātor; also rūmĭgĕrŭlus, combibō, compōtor. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.