The French word ‘parler’ means to talk and ‘parlement’ means to parley, or consult, or hold a conference. In time, the word ‘parlement’ came to denote a conference between the king and his chief subjects.
The word ‘parliament’ came into usage between 1258 and 1265. This was the period when Simon de Montfort, the most notable English statesman of his era, gained fame as a political reformer. Although he was born into the French aristocracy, Simon de Montfort moved to England during the reign of Henry Ill to claim an inherited title. Simon led a movement to limit the king’s governing powers, and, after an armed revolt, ruled England for about a year. He ruled with the help of a body known as the ‘Great Council’, and soon, the most important meetings of the Great Council became known as parliaments.