Etymologically
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jabber

Etymology and origin of the English word jabber

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈd͡ʒæbə(ɹ)/[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English,[2][3] earlier jablen (about 1405), javeren and jaberen (1499),[4][5] probably of imitative origin.[2][4][5][3][6] Random House compares gibber and gab.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

To talk rapidly and indistinctly (about 1405, as jablen).[4][5] The OED's first record is from 1499.[7]

Semantic evolution

The spelling jabber is first recorded in 1655.[4][5] The transitive sense, to utter rapidly, often of a foreign language spoken contemptuously, is from 1532,[7] and the noun from 1727.[4][5][7]

Timeline

  • about 1405 – jablen.[4][5]
  • 1499 – jaberen, to chatter.[4][7]
  • 1532 – to utter rapidly.[7]
  • 1655 – the spelling jabber.[4][5]
  • 1727 – noun, rapid talk.[4][5][7]

Modern meaning

Verb

  1. To talk rapidly, indistinctly or idly; to chatter.
  2. To say something rapidly or unintelligibly.

Noun

  1. Rapid, babbling or meaningless talk; gibberish.

Word family

  • jabberer
  • jabberingly
  • gibber
  • gab
  • jibber-jabber

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Jabber.” Etymologically, 11 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/jabber. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·