a. [f. TALK v. + -ATIVE.] Given to talking; inclined to talk; chatty, loquacious; garrulous, ‘full of prate’ (J.).
1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), VI. 469. Hit is a fowle vice in a kynge to be talkatyve [orig. dicacem fore; Trevisa to iangle moche] in a feste.
1529. More, Dyaloge, III. Wks. 243/1. The more foole the more talkatife of great doutes and hygh questions of holy Scripture.
1552. Huloet, Talcatiue, or full of talkynge and pratlynge, fabularis.
1665. Glanvill, Def. Van. Dogm., 51. One Author will not reckon him among the slight and talkative Philosophers.
1728. Young, Vind. Providence (1737), 17. He is Talkative, because his largest Scenes lies backward; and his Talk on the past, is always a Censure on the present.
1866. Geo. Eliot, F. Holt, ii. [He] became very talkative over his second bottle of port.
1920. J. Conrad, The Rescue, ix. 176. Look at the old dog—carved out of a ship’s timber—talkative like a fish—grim like a gutted wreck. That’s the man for me.
b. Said of personal qualities, etc.; also fig.
14[?]. Craft of Lovers, iv., in Chaucer’s Wks. (1561), 341. Your peinted eloquence, So gay, so freshe, and eke so talcatife.
1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys (1570), 54. Sophistrie nor Logike with their arte talcatife.
1644. Bulwer, Chirol., 1. The Hand, that busie instrument, is most talkative.
1719. Steele, Plebian, Wks. (1790), 293. Nothing is so talkative as misfortune.
1778. Miss Burney, Evelina (1791), II. xxxvii. 257. So little talkative is the fulness of contentment.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. vii. 47. This … is the most talkative glacier I have ever known.
Hence Talkatively adv., in a talkative way.
1589. Warner, Alb. Eng., VI. xxx. (1612), 150. For slaunder set on foote, though false, is talkatiuely dome.
1727. Bailey, vol. II., Talkatively, after a talkative Manner.
1847. in Webster; and in mod. Dicts.
