Dalliance
/ˈdæli.əns/noun
Light, casual flirtation or playful lingering; lack of serious commitment.
Did you know?Dalliance comes from Old French dalier, meaning “to talk idly, trifle, or waste time,” so its history is less romance and more seductive procrastination.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*del-
“To split, divide, or separate; a root that later fed ideas of delay and distance.”
Latin
Latin
differre
“To carry apart, postpone, or put off.”
Old French
Old French
dalier
“To trifle, chat idly, or waste time.”
Middle English
English
daliance
“Idle delay, trifling, or playful lingering.”
Modern English
English
dalliance
“Light flirtation or casual, uncommitted amusement.”