loquacity
- The quality of talking a great deal; excessive talkativeness.
In a sentence
- His loquacity at dinner parties was legendary — no topic was too small to inspire a twenty-minute monologue.
- The professor's loquacity was endearing in small seminars but exhausting in a lecture hall with limited time.
Usage note. Loquacity carries a mildly negative or humorous tone — implying an excess of talk — so use it carefully in neutral contexts where mere 'talkativeness' might be more appropriate.
Where it comes from
English loquacity · entered English early 17th c.
From Latin 'loquacitas,' derived from 'loquax' (talkative), itself from 'loqui' (to speak). The word entered English in the early 17th century. The Latin root 'loqui' is shared by 'eloquence,' 'elocution,' 'soliloquy,' and 'colloquial,' all relating to speech. 'Loquacity' is the noun form of the adjective 'loquacious.'