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.
This is mere moral babble. 1634 October 9 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC, line 823:
Assassin's Creed gets described as "more than a game" and "a platform for meaningful exploration and reflection wrapped in the excitement of unforgettable gameplay"—which is executive babble, let's be honest. 2025 February 14, Harvey Randall, “Ubi Strikes Back”, in PC Gamer (US), number 392, page 9:
(uncountable, usually) Inarticulate speech; constant or confused murmur.
[M]an has an instinctive tendency to speak, as we see in the babble of our young children; whilst no child has an instinctive tendency to brew, bake, or write. 1871, Charles Darwin, “Comparison of the Mental Powers of Man and the Lower Animals”, in The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex. […], volume I, London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, Part I (On the Descent of Man), page 55:
(uncountable, usually) A sound like that of water gently flowing around obstructions.
[T]he babble of the stream / Fell, and without the steady glare / Shrank the sick olive sere and small. 1832 December (indicated as 1833), Alfred Tennyson, “Mariana in the South”, in Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 23:
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.
Meanings
(intransitive) To utter words indistinctly or unintelligibly; to utter inarticulate sounds
The men were babbling, so we couldn't make sense of anything.
(intransitive) To talk incoherently; to utter meaningless words.
(intransitive) To talk too much; to chatter; to prattle.
She babbled on for hours about the importance of some new gadget.
Radical rather than rhetorical, babble like an oracle 2022, “The Dying Song (Time To Sing)”, performed by Slipknot:
(intransitive) To make a continuous murmuring noise, like shallow water running over stones.
In every babbling brook he finds a friend. 1815, William Wordsworth, “Extracts from Descriptive Sketches”, in Poems […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […], published 1815, →OCLC:
Hounds are said to babble, or to be babbling, when they are too noisy after having found a good scent.
(transitive) To utter in an indistinct or incoherent way; to repeat words or sounds in a childish way without understanding.
All this vvhile John had conn'd over ſuch a Catalogue of hard VVords, as vvere enough to conjure up the Devil; theſe he uſed to babble indifferently in all Companies, eſpecially at Coffee-houſes; ſo that his Neighbour Tradeſmen began to ſhun his Company as a Man that vvas crack'd. 1733, Humphry Polesworth [pseudonym; John Arbuthnot], Alexander Pope, compiler, “Law is a Bottomless Pit. Or, The History of John Bull. […]. [The First Part.] Chapter VII. How John Bull was so Mightily Pleas’d with His Success, that He was Going to Leave Off His Trade, and Turn Lawyer.”, in Miscellanies, 2nd edition, volume II, London: […] Benjamin Motte, […], →OCLC, page 23:
pl paplać (to talk too much) · gu બબડવું (to talk too much) · mi kohe (to utter words indistinctly) · scn smurmurijari (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · nl babbelen (to talk too much) · sv pladdra (to talk too much) · vi bi bô (to utter words indistinctly) · is mala (to talk too much) · bg ромоля (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · uk галама́гати (to utter words indistinctly) · bg бръщолевя (to utter words indistinctly) · it blaterare (to utter words indistinctly) · da mumle (to utter words indistinctly) · is þvæla (to talk too much) · uk дзюрча́ти (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · ko 옹알거리다 (to utter words indistinctly) · mi whakahāhā (to talk incoherently) · ru лепета́ть (to utter words indistinctly) · is hjala (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · cs žvatlat (to utter words indistinctly) · no bable (to utter words indistinctly) · ru бормота́ть (to utter words indistinctly) · is fleipra út úr sér (to talk too much) · lv vāvuļot (to talk incoherently) · fr caqueter (to talk too much) · is kjafta frá (to talk too much) · fr jargonner (to utter words indistinctly) · grc λαλέω (to talk too much) · is tala of mikið (to talk too much) · uk дзюркоті́ти (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · da plapre (to talk too much) · nl kabbelen (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · lv murmuļot (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · az çərənləmək (to talk too much) · ru журча́ть (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · es murmurar (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · sv porla (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · is mala (to utter words indistinctly) · de murmeln (to utter words indistinctly) · es charlar (to talk too much) · is vera með heimskuhjal (to talk too much) · fr papoter (to talk too much) · grc θρυλέω (to utter words indistinctly) · fr babiller (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · fi höpöttää (to utter in an indistinct or incoherent way) · is blaðra (to utter words indistinctly) · grc θρυλέω (to talk too much) · da bavle (to talk incoherently) · de plappern (to talk too much) · is þvæla (to utter words indistinctly) · gl barballar (to talk incoherently) · mi whakahāhā (to utter words indistinctly) · fi laverrella (to disclose by too free talk) · da pludre (to utter words indistinctly) · izh šolissa (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · nl kletsen (to talk too much) · scn ciarmulijari (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · de brabbeln (to utter words indistinctly) · lv murmulēt (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · fi höpistä (to utter in an indistinct or incoherent way) · es susurrar (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · it cicalare (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · uk бурмоті́ти (to talk incoherently) · hu csobog (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · da røbe (to disclose by too free talk) · sk brblať (to utter words indistinctly) · ru трепа́ться (to talk too much) · izh törissä (to talk too much) · fr bavarder (to talk too much) · el κελαηδώ (to talk too much) · de schwätzen (to talk too much) · da mumle (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · la blaterō (to talk incoherently) · es charlatanear (to talk too much) · es mascullar (to utter words indistinctly) · de plätschern (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · fr jaboter (to talk too much) · vi róc rách (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · es charlotear (to talk too much) · da vrøvle (to talk too much) · no plapre (to talk too much) · es chacharear (to talk too much) · lv izpļāpāties (to disclose by too free talk) · uk базі́кати (to talk too much) · ko 옹알거리다 (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · nl brabbelen (to utter words indistinctly) · ko 중얼거리다 (to utter words indistinctly) · lv murmināt (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · uk бурмота́ти (to talk incoherently) · cs brblat (to utter words indistinctly) · vi bập bẹ (to utter words indistinctly) · de babbeln (to talk too much) · pt murmurar (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · is babla (to utter words indistinctly) · is niða (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · ast bilordiar (to talk too much) · fr marmotter (to utter words indistinctly) · fi lörpötellä (to disclose by too free talk) · hi बकना (to utter words indistinctly) · mi whakahāhā (to utter in an indistinct or incoherent way) · pt balbuciar (to utter words indistinctly) · mi nanunanu (to talk incoherently) · gl esbardallar (to talk too much) · de gurgeln (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · ga bí ag cabaireacht (to talk too much) · ko 재잘거리다 (to talk too much) · gl parolar (to talk too much) · it chiacchierare (to talk too much) · mi kapekapetau (to talk too much) · fi höpöttää (to talk incoherently) · fr susurrer (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · gl barballar (to talk too much) · vi tiết lộ (to disclose by too free talk) · uk буркота́ти (to talk incoherently) · bg бърборя (to talk too much) · grc φλυαρέω (to talk incoherently) · fi lörpötellä (to talk too much) · fi pulista (to talk too much) · fi jokeltaa (to utter words indistinctly) · mi kapetau (to talk too much) · ru болта́ть (to talk too much) · uk дзюркота́ти (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · vi rì rào (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · gl laretar (to talk too much) · vi lảm nhảm (to talk too much) · ast afalucar (to utter words indistinctly) · lt babaliuoti (to talk incoherently) · eo babiladi (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · pl szemrać (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · es parlotear (to talk too much) · scn ciarmulijari (to utter words indistinctly) · izh bälättää (to utter words indistinctly) · uk журча́ти (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · da ævle (to talk too much) · is blaðra (to talk too much) · fi solista (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · da sludre (to talk too much) · fr jacasser (to talk too much) · fr marmonner (to utter words indistinctly) · da vrøvle (to utter in an indistinct or incoherent way) · no bable (to talk too much) · is babla (to talk too much) · fr murmurer (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · pt balbuciar (to talk too much) · la blaterō (to utter words indistinctly) · mi nanunanu (to utter words indistinctly) · it blaterare (to talk incoherently) · lv murmināt (to utter words indistinctly) · is masa (to utter words indistinctly) · da vrøvle (to talk incoherently) · lv pļāpāt (to talk too much) · ko 중얼거리다 (to make a continuous murmuring noise) · pl gaworzyć (to utter words indistinctly) · es farfullar (to utter words indistinctly) · is masa (to talk too much) · it ciarlare (to talk too much) · gl barballar (to utter words indistinctly) · uk базі́кати (to utter words indistinctly) · sv babbla (to talk too much) · uk буркоті́ти (to talk incoherently)