babble

Meaning

1. To utter words indistinctly or unintelligibly; to utter inarticulate sounds
2. To talk incoherently; to utter meaningless words.
3. To talk too much; to chatter; to prattle.
4. To make a continuous murmuring noise, like shallow water running over stones.
5. To utter in an indistinct or incoherent way; to repeat words or sounds in a childish way without understanding.
6. To reveal; to give away (a secret).

talk nonsense

be talkative

blab out

let the cat out of the bag

tittle tattle

babble out

lallation

talk too much

ramble on

talk idly

prittle prattle

meaningless words

be delirious

be talka tive

speak foolishly

speak slowly

babblement

flounder through

be chatty

be gabby

wag one’s tongue

talk through one’s hat

rattle away

at great length

chin wagging

blat out

chatter away

intrusion tone

talk incoherently

blurt out

imperfect utterance

tell tales

speak frivolously

utter sounds

yabber

yapp

talk volubly

talk foolishly

unintelligible language

howl

incoherent language

idle talk

talking nonsense

“all Greek to me”

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈbæb.(ə)l/

Inherited from Middle English

Inherited from Old English

Cognate with Saterland Frisian

Cognate with Western Frisian

Cognate with Dutch

Cognate with German

Cognate with Danish

Cognate with Swedish

Cognate with Icelandic

In summary

From Middle English babelen, from Old English *bæblian, also wæflian (“to talk foolishly”), from Proto-West Germanic *bablōn, *wablōn, variants of *babalōn, from Proto-Germanic *babalōną (“to chatter”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰa-bʰa-, perhaps a reduplication of Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to say”), or a variant of Proto-Indo-European *baba- (“to talk vaguely, mumble”), or a merger of the two, possibly ultimately onomatopoeic/mimicry of infantile sounds (compare babe, baby). Cognate with Saterland Frisian babbelje (“to babble”), West Frisian babbelje (“to babble”), Dutch babbelen (“to babble, chat”), German Low German babbeln (“to babble”), German babbeln (“to babble”), Danish bable, bavle (“to babble”), Swedish babbla (“to babble”), Icelandic babla (“to babble”). Unrelated to Babel.

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