BABBLE

Definition of BABBLE

BABBLE Verb and Noun

Babble is both a verb and a noun. As a verb, it means to talk rapidly and continuously in a foolish, incomprehensible, or trivial manner. As a noun, it refers to such talk or a continuous stream of unintelligible sounds.

BABBLE as a verb

To Talk Rapidly and Incoherently: As a verb, babble denotes the act of speaking rapidly and continuously in a manner that is often nonsensical or trivial. For example, “The children babbled excitedly about their day at the park,” illustrates the act of talking in a lively and somewhat disjointed way.

To Make Incoherent Sounds: Babble can also refer to the sound made when someone speaks in a manner that is hard to understand or not meaningful. For instance, “The baby babbled happily in its crib,” shows the act of making sounds that are not yet words but are expressive and continuous.

To Speak in a Nonsensical Way: When used as a verb, babble can imply speaking in a manner that lacks seriousness or coherence. For example, “He babbled on about his vacation without getting to the point,” emphasizes the lack of focus or meaningful content in the speech.

BABBLE as a noun

Continuous and Incoherent Talk: As a noun, babble refers to the type of talk that is rapid, trivial, or incoherent. For example, “The babble of the crowd was overwhelming,” describes the continuous and often confusing noise made by a group of people.

Unintelligible Sounds: Babble can also denote a continuous stream of unintelligible sounds, such as the gurgling of water. For instance, “The babble of the brook was soothing as it flowed through the forest,” highlights the pleasant and continuous sound made by a natural feature.

A Type of Communication: In certain contexts, babble may describe a form of communication that is characterized by a lack of clarity or significance. For example, “The meeting was filled with the usual babble that added nothing to the discussion,” shows how this kind of talk can be seen as unproductive or irrelevant.

Continuous Low-Level Noise: Babble can also describe continuous, low-level noise in a more general sense. For example, “The babble of voices in the coffee shop created a cozy atmosphere,” indicates the background noise that contributes to the ambiance of a place.

Babble encompasses both the act of speaking rapidly and incoherently as a verb and the continuous, often nonsensical sound as a noun. Understanding babble highlights its use in describing both the manner of speaking and the type of sound, illustrating its relevance in various contexts from communication to environmental noise.

Examples of BABBLE in a sentence

BABBLE as a verb in a sentence

• The toddler began to babble incoherently as she played with her toys.
• He tends to babble when he’s nervous and unsure of what to say.
• She tried to babble an excuse, but it was clear she was lying.
• After a few drinks, he would babble on about old memories.
• The brook seemed to babble softly as the water flowed over the rocks.
• Instead of answering the question directly, she started to babble about unrelated topics.
• The children babble happily during recess, enjoying their time together.
• He didn’t make sense, just babble after hours of no sleep.

BABBLE as a noun in a sentence

• The baby’s babble filled the room, making everyone smile.
• His constant babble during the meeting was distracting for everyone.
• We could hear the cheerful babble of voices from the party next door.
• The stream’s soft babble was soothing as they walked along the trail.
• Their conversation turned into meaningless babble as they grew tired.
• Her excited babble about her day showed how much fun she had.
• Over the phone, there was a lot of background babble making it hard to hear.
• He tuned out the babble around him, focusing on his work.

Origin of BABBLE

Babble traces its origins to the Middle English word bable or babblen, which meant to talk foolishly or incoherently. This term is derived from the Old French babble (to chatter) and is ultimately borrowed from the Late Latin babblare, meaning to prattle or to talk rapidly and foolishly.

• Late Latin: Babblare (to prattle, to talk foolishly).
• Old French: Babble (to chatter, to talk rapidly), from Late Latin babblare.
• Middle English: Bable (to talk foolishly, to chatter), from Old French.
• Late Latin: Babblare referred to the act of talking rapidly and foolishly, often without meaningful content.
• Old French: The term evolved into babble, reflecting a similar meaning of foolish or incoherent talk.
• Middle English: Babble continued to describe talking in a nonsensical or incoherent manner.

In contemporary English, babble refers to speaking rapidly and unintelligibly, often in a way that is difficult to understand. It can describe the sound of continuous, meaningless chatter or the early sounds made by infants before they develop full speech capabilities. The term retains its core meaning of incoherent or foolish talk, reflecting its historical evolution from Latin to modern usage.