English

Etymology
Confer Late German babbeln; D. babbelen; German bappeln, bappern; F. babiller; Italian babbolare; probable origin, to keep saying ba, imitative of a child learning to talk; confer tower of Babel.

Pronunciation
IPA|/bæb.�l/
audio|en-us-babble.ogg|Audio (US)
:rhymes|æb�l

Noun
en-noun|-

1. idle|Idle talk; senseless prattle; gabble; twaddle.

#* "This is mere moral babble." Milton.

1. inarticulate|Inarticulate speech, such as was used at the building the tower of Babel; constant or confused murmur.

#:Quotations
#:*The babble of our young children. - Darwin.
#:*The babble of the stream. - Tennyson.

1. A sound of or alike that which of flowing water.

Translations
trans-top|idle talk
German: Geplapper n
Icelandic: babl n, óskýrt tal n, heimskulegt þvaður n, mas n
trans-mid
Swedish: babbel, pladder
trans-bottom

trans-top|inarticulate speech
German: Brabbeln n, Murmeln n
Icelandic: babl n, óskýrt tal n, heimskulegt þvaður n, mas n
trans-mid
Dutch: brabbelen, murmelen
Swedish: babbel
trans-bottom

trans-top|the sound of flowing water
Icelandic: niður m, vatnsniður m
trans-mid
trans-bottom

See also
babblement i|Hawthorne
babblery i|Sir Thomas More

Verb
en-verb|babbl|ing

1. intransitive To utter words indistinctly or unintelligibly; to utter inarticulate sounds; as, a child babbles.
2. intransitive To talk incoherently; to utter unmeaning words.
3. intransitive To talk much; to chatter; to prate.
4. intransitive To make a continuous murmuring noise, as shallow water running over stones.

#:*In every babbling brook he finds a friend. - Wordsworth.
#:Hounds are said to babble, or to be babbling, when they are too noisy after having found a good scent.

1. transitive To utter in an indistinct or incoherent way; to repeat, as words, in a childish way without understanding.

#:*These words he used to babble in all companies. - Arbuthnot.

1. transitive To disclose by too free talk, as a secret.

Translations
trans-top|to utter words indistinctly
German: brabbeln, murmeln
Icelandic: babla, masa, þvæla, mala, blaðra
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|to talk much
German: schwätzen, plappern, babbeln
Icelandic: babla, masa, þvæla, vera með heimskuhjal, tala of mikið, mala, blaðra, kjafta frá, fleipra út úr sér
trans-mid
trans-bottom

trans-top|to make a continuous murmuring noise, as shallow water running over stones.
German: plätschern, gurgeln
Icelandic: niða, hjala
trans-mid
Dutch: kabbelen
trans-bottom

References
R:1913

Category:Onomatopoeia

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• 2007-09-27 10:09 - UllmannBot - iwiki +te

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