babble

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*baba-“to talk vaguely, mumble”
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰa-bʰa-
3. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*babalōną“to chatter”
4. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*bablōn
5. Old English · inherited from*bæblian
6. Middle English · inherited frombabelen
7. English todaybabble

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.