English Language & Usage Asked on August 12, 2021
What is the different between loquacious and talkative? I don’t see much different in their definition:
Loquacious: tending to talk a great deal; talkative.
Talkative: fond of or given to talking.
Regarding M-W Dictionary, they are different as follow:
Talkative may imply a readiness to engage in talk or a disposition to enjoy conversation .
Loquacious suggests the power of expressing oneself articulately, fluently, or glibly
But I don’t see the different. Isn’t that anyone who is talkative is also having an ability to talk fluently, therefore matching the description of talkative? Is it true that loquacious has the same meaning of talkative?
Since no one has yet addressed your question about the Merriam-Webster's explanation, I will.
To repeat, the Merriam-Webster says this:
talkative, loquacious, garrulous, voluble mean given to talk or talking.
talkative may imply a readiness to engage in talk or a disposition to enjoy conversation.a talkative neighbor
loquacious suggests the power of expressing oneself articulately, fluently, or glibly.
a loquacious spokesperson
Then you ask,
But I don't see the difference. Isn't it the case that anyone who is talkative also has the ability to talk fluently, therefore matching the description of talkative? Is it true that loquacious has the same meaning of talkative?
Well, no.
It is perfectly possible for there to be a person who tends to enjoys conversation (so is talkative) but who has no power to express themselves either articulately, or fluently, or glibly (and so is not loquacious). In fact, I'd wager that most of us know people like that! They jump at every chance to strike up a conversation, but are by no means skilled at expressing themselves, and we may have trouble understanding half of what they are trying to say.
Conversely, it is also possible that someone is very articulate (or fluent or glib) when talking, but who actually usually doesn't talk to people for mere enjoyment of conversation. On the contrary, this person usually approaches people with a particular goal in mind, such as convincing them to support some cause or participate in some action or form a certain belief. Such a person we wouldn't necessarily call talkative, but we might call them loquacious.
Correct answer by linguisticturn on August 12, 2021
They are essentially synonyms, the following extract suggests that loquacious has a more negative connotation than talkative and is less common as shown in Ngram:
Talkative:
- Our starting word, “talkative,” should describe somebody who likes to talk frequently or at length. Interestingly, talkative can be used with either a positive or negative connotation, but, for the most part, it’s a fairly positive word. I could say “My talkative friend easily navigates from conversation to conversation;” here, the word “talkative” suggests my friend is a facile communicator. Conversely, I could say “After only one drink, Suzie became very talkative;” here, the word has a gently negative connotation.
Loquacious:
- Loquacious implies an inclination to talk incessantly or to keep up a constant flow of chatter. For example, “John, a loquacious investment banker, never tired of exhausting his dinner guests with self-indulgent chatter.” Notice that loquacious doesn’t have the versatility that talkative has–it’s always negative. For that reason, it’s a more precise word.
Answered by user66974 on August 12, 2021
From Dictionary.com:
Talkative, garrulous, loquacious characterize a person who talks a great deal. Talkative is a neutral or mildly unfavorable word applied to a person who is inclined to talk a great deal, sometimes without significance: a talkative child.The garrulous person talks with wearisome persistence, usually about personal and trivial things: a garrulous old man.A loquacious person, intending to be sociable, talks continuously and at length: a loquacious host.
As Hack Saw says, talkative is not generally positive. It is, in my opinion, unfavorable more often than neutral, especially from my point of view as a teacher.
And of course, you must consider that talkative will be understood by far more people than loquacious will.
Answered by Steven Littman on August 12, 2021
A talkative person talks a lot but, a loquacious person talks with more details and are animated to paint a visual picture for their audience to create emotion.
Answered by Kimberly Robinson on August 12, 2021
I would say that the main difference is in their delivery; perhaps you could say the "quality" of the speaker's word choices or sentences. For example, a "talkative" person would be one whose speaks simply, and uses more common terminology or better known synonyms. A "loquacious" speaker would use lesser known terms, "fancier" pronunciations (think 'vahz' rather than 'vase') or words that most people haven't seen since they studied for the SAT. A "garrulous" person speaks frequently, but seldom has anything positive or upbeat to contribute...a talkative "Debbie Downer" if you will.
Answered by ANNIE RUTLEDGE on August 12, 2021
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