Meaning
Trouble, fuss, or commotion — a big to-do, a noisy quarrel, or a drawn-out argument that will not settle. 'Nuff palava over nutten' is a lot of fuss over nothing, and to be caught up in palava is to be tangled in wrangling and bother. Close in spirit to 'bangarang' and 'kas-kas', the word carries a weary, exasperated note, and it is shared with West African English, where it likewise means trouble or a dispute.
Examples
-
A whole heap a palava over one likkle ting.
A whole lot of fuss over one small thing.
-
Mi nuh waan nuh palava today.
I don't want any trouble today.
-
Dem a mek palava again.
They're causing a commotion again.
Origin
From Portuguese 'palavra' (word, talk), which entered West African and Caribbean speech through trade as a word for a dispute or fuss.
How it’s used
Close to 'bangarang' and 'kas-kas', for noisy trouble and fuss. Shared with West African English, where it likewise means trouble or a dispute.