What is the Latin word for talk?

The usual Latin words for “talk” are sermō, vocō, fāma; also rūmor, vulgus, abeō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“talk” in Latin

sermōa conversation, discussion; a rumor, diction, speech, talk, discourse; a language, manner of speaking vocōto call, summon, beckon (with one's voice); to name, designate; to bring or put (into a state or condition)fāmafame; rumour, talk, opinion, report; reputation rūmorrumor, hearsay, gossip; the voice of the people, the common opinion; (also) fame, reputation; rustle, murmur, a murmurin vulgusthe common people; the public; throng, crowd abeōto depart, go away, go off, exit; to change one's nature; synonym of eō perveniōto come, arrive; to reach, attain, come to loquorto say, speak, tell, talk, utter; to declare, speak, or state more formally as in a legal context or in defense of someo colloquiumconversation, discussion; interview; conference fābulorto chat, converse, talk; to make up a story

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

talk s.

sermo (general term, a conversation of several persons on any subject): voces, plur., (loud talk): fama, rumor (fame, report; Vid: REPORT). There is a talk, etc. [Vid: REPORT]. To become the common talk, in sermonem hominum venire; in ora hominum, or vulgi, abire or pervenire: to become the talk of ill-natured people, incurrere in voculas malevolorum: to make anything the talk of the town, per totam urbem rumoribus differre: to be the common talk, or the talk of the town, in sermonem hominum venire (Cic., Verr., 2, 4, 7); esse in ore hominum or vulgi; esse in ore et sermone omnium; omnium sermonibus vapulare: to be the talk of the town for one whole summer, aliquid unam aestatem aures refercit sermonibus.

talk v.

loqui: colloqui (rarely fari, which is poetical): fabulari, confabulari (of very familiar conversation). To talk much of anything, sermone aliquid celebrare: crebris sermonibus aliquid usurpare (Cic.): to teach children to talk, parvulos verba edocere (Plin., Paneg., 26): children learn to talk, pueri loqui discunt: when the parrot learns to talk, psittacus cum loqui discit (Plin., 10, 42, 58): birds that learn to talk, aves ad imitandum vocis humanae sonitum dociles (Curt., 8, 9, 16); aves humano sermone vocales (Plin., 10, 51, 72): to talk over anything with anybody, colloqui aliquid cum aliquo, usually colloqui de re (Vid: commentators on Nep., Them., 9, 4): conferre aliquid; consilia conferre de re; communicare cum aliquo de re (to communicate about anything): agere, disceptare cum aliquo de re (to treat, discuss). To talk over, coram conferre aliquid: to talk with the fingers, digitis loqui (Ov., Trist., 2, 453); per digitorum gestum significare aliquid (Vid: Ov., Trist., 5, 10, 36): talking with the fingers, digitorum signa, plur., (Quint.); digiti nostram voluntatem indicautes (Quint.).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for talk?: The usual Latin words for “talk” are sermō, vocō, fāma; also rūmor, vulgus, abeō. 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.