colloquor

Colloquor is a Latin verb meaning to converse, speak together, or engage in dialogue. It is used for both informal conversation and formal discussion, including scholarly or philosophical exchanges. The term appears in classical writers and continued into medieval and ecclesiastical Latin, reflecting the value placed on dialogue in intellectual life.

Colloquor is a deponent verb, meaning its forms are passive in form but active in meaning. Its principal parts are colloquor, colloqui, collocutus sum. The present indicative forms include colloquor (I converse), colloqueris (you converse), colloquitur (he or she converses), colloquimur (we converse), colloquimini (you all converse), colloquuntur (they converse). The infinitive is colloqui, and the perfect tense is formed with collocutus sum or a related participle and sum. The vocabulary thus resembles passive morphology while conveying active sense.

Usage and nuance: colloquor emphasizes mutual exchange rather than a one-sided speech act. It often appears in contexts of dialogue, consultation, or deliberation, and can denote philosophical debate, diplomatic talk, or casual chat. Example: Colloquor cum amicis de rebus philosophicis. Translation: I converse with friends about philosophical matters. Colloquimur de re publica. Translation: We converse about the republic.

See also: colloquium, a meeting or conference for discussion; colloquial, referring to informal speech derived from the same root; colloquy, an exchange of views in a dialogue.