παλαβός

Multiple theories exist. Either from Ladino פאלאברה/palavra (“word; boastful talk”) through an unattested intermediate form *παλάβια (*palábia), or alternatively related to Pontic Greek παλαλός (palalós) which is from ἀπολωλός (apolōlós), participle of Koine Greek ἀπόλλυμι (apóllumi, “to vanish, to slip away”). A relation to dialectal Aeolic Greek παλαός (palaós) has also been suggested.

παλαβός • (palabós) m (feminine παλαβή, neuter παλαβόν); first/second declension

1. (Byzantine) crazy, foolish

• παλαβός - Kriaras, Emmanuel (1969-) Επιτομή του Λεξικού της Μεσαιωνικής Ελληνικής Δημώδους Γραμματείας (Epitomí tou Lexikoú tis Mesaionikís Ellinikís Dimódous Grammateías) [Concise Dictionary of the Kriaras' Dictionary of Medieval Vulgar Greek Literature (1100–1669) Vols. 1–14. Vols 15- under I. Kazazes.)] (in Greek), Thessaloniki: Centre for the Greek language Online edition (abbreviations) Printed edition 2022: 22 vols.)
• Menos Filintas (1933) “Ετυμολογίες σε θρακικές λέξες [Etymologies of Thracian words]”, in Polydoros Papachristodoulou, editor, Θρακικά [Thrakika], volume 4, Athens: Thrakikon Kentron, pages 277-294

From Byzantine Greek παλαβός (palabós).

• IPA^(key): /palaˈvos/
• Hyphenation: πα‧λα‧βός

παλαβός • (palavós) m (feminine παλαβή, neuter παλαβό)

1. crazy, foolish, nuts

   Synonyms: ανισόρροπος (anisórropos), τρελός (trelós), χαζός (chazós)

• παλαβιάρης (palaviáris, “foolish (more affectionate term)”, adj)
• παλαβομάρα f (palavomára, “idiocy, folly”)
• παλάβρα f (palávra, “exaggeration, boast”)
• παλάβρας m (palávras, “braggart, boaster”)
• παλάβωμα n (palávoma, “stupefiedness, daze”)
• παλαβώνω (palavóno, “to make one crazy, to become crazy”, verb)

παλαβός, in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής , Triantafyllidis Foundation, 1998 at the Centre for the Greek language