Etymology: < babble v.¹ Compare Anglo-Norman bable , Middle French, French babil idle or foolish talk, prattle (1268 in Anglo-Norman; rare before c1450), sound uttered by certain birds (16th cent.). Compare earlier babbling n.¹, and also bibble-babble n.

Etymology: Apparently < the syllable /ba/ which is characteristic of early infantile vocalization, this syllable being taken as typical of childish speech, and hence of indistinct or nonsensical talk + -le suffix 3. Compare prattle v. Compare also the name of Babel (see Babel n.), which, although etymologically unrelated, may have been associated with the verb in later use; also later blab v.¹, blabber v., and (with sense 2b) blubber v.Parallel formations are found in many other European languages. Compare Dutch babbelen (1544; 1530 in sense ‘to nibble’), Middle Low German babbelen (German regional (Low German) babbelen), German (now colloquial) babbeln (17th cent.; a1546 as †pappeln; also as †bappeln, †babeln (both 17th cent.)), Icelandic babbla, Danish bavle (17th cent. as †bable), Swedish (chiefly regional) babbla (19th cent. or earlier), and also Old French, Middle French, French babiller to stammer, stutter (c1170), to mumble, mutter (13th cent.), to speak indiscreetly (15th cent.), to talk foolishly (1547). Perhaps compare also Middle English (rare) babel fool (only recorded in the poem Cleanness: see Middle Eng. Dict. at babel).

Etymology: Origin uncertain. Perhaps < bob v.³ (although this does not appear to show forms with medial -a- ; however, compare bauble n. 6 and see discussion at that entry) + -le suffix 3. Earlier babble v.¹ is unlikely to be related, on semantic grounds. Compare babbling n.²