different between babble vs libel

English

Etymology

From Middle English babelen, from Old English *bæblian, also wæflian (“to talk foolishly”), from Proto-Germanic *babal?n? (“to chatter”), from Proto-Indo-European *b?a-b?a-, perhaps a reduplication of Proto-Indo-European *b?eh?- (“to say”), or a variant of Proto-Indo-European *baba- (“to talk vaguely, mumble”), or a merger of the two, possibly ultimately onomatopoetic/mimicry of infantile sounds. Cognate with Old Frisian babbelje (“to babble”), Old Norse babbla (“to babble”) (Swedish babbla), Middle Low German babbelen (“to babble”), Dutch babbelen (“to babble, chat”), German pappeln and babbeln (“to babble”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?bæb.l?/
• Rhymes: -æb?l

Verb

babble (third-person singular simple present babbles, present participle babbling, simple past and past participle babbled)

1. (intransitive) To utter words indistinctly or unintelligibly; to utter inarticulate sounds

2. (intransitive) To talk incoherently; to utter meaningless words.
3. (intransitive) To talk too much; to chatter; to prattle.
4. (intransitive) To make a continuous murmuring noise, like shallow water running over stones.
   • 1815, William Wordsworth, Extracts from Descriptive Sketches

     In every babbling brook he finds a friend.

5. (transitive) To utter in an indistinct or incoherent way; to repeat words or sounds in a childish way without understanding.
   • 1712, John Arbuthnot, The History of John Bull

     These [words] he used to babble indifferently in all companies.

6. (transitive) To reveal; to give away (a secret).

Translations

Noun

babble (usually uncountable, plural babbles)

1. Idle talk; senseless prattle

   Synonyms: gabble, twaddle

   • 1634, John Milton, Comus, a Mask, line 823:

     This is mere moral babble.

2. Inarticulate speech; constant or confused murmur.
   • 1871, Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex

     The babble of our young children.

3. A sound like that of water gently flowing around obstructions.
   • ?, Alfred Tennyson, Mariana

     The babble of the stream.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:chatter

Hyponyms

Translations

See also

• babblement
• babblery

References

• babble in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

German

Verb

babble

1. inflection of babbeln:
   1. first-person singular present
   2. first/third-person singular subjunctive I
   3. singular imperative

English

Etymology

From Old French libelle, from Latin libellus (“petition”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: l??b?l, IPA^(key): /?la?b?l/
• Rhymes: -a?b?l

Noun

libel (countable and uncountable, plural libels)

1. (countable) A written or pictorial false statement which unjustly seeks to damage someone's reputation.
2. (uncountable) The act or crime of displaying such a statement publicly.
3. (countable) Any defamatory writing; a lampoon; a satire.
4. (law, countable) A written declaration or statement by the plaintiff of their cause of action, and of the relief they seek.
   • 1873, United States Supreme Court, The Rio Grande, 86 U.S. 178,179

     These provisions of law being in force, the steamer Rio Grande, owned, as was alleged, by persons in Mexico, being in the port of Mobile, in the Southern District of Alabama, certain materialmen, on the 26th of November, 1867, filed separate libels against her in the district court for the said district.

5. (countable) A brief writing of any kind, especially a declaration, bill, certificate, request, supplication, etc.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Chaucer to this entry?)

   • 1382–1395, John Wycliffe et al. (translators), Matthew verse 31

     a libel of forsaking [divorcement]

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:slander

Usage notes

In common usage, the noun and verb is particularly used where the defamatory writing meets the legal definition of libel in a particular jurisdiction.

Translations

Verb

libel (third-person singular simple present libels, present participle (UK) libelling or (US) libeling, simple past and past participle (UK) libelled or (US) libeled)

1. (transitive) To defame someone, especially in a manner that meets the legal definition of libel.

   He libelled her when he published that.
2. (law) To proceed against (a ship, goods, etc.) by filing a libel.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:defame

Translations

Derived terms

See also

• defamation
• defame
• slander

Anagrams

• Belli, I'll be, Ibell, Liebl

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /li?b?l/
• Hyphenation: li?bel
• Rhymes: -?l

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin libella or libellula.

Noun

libel f (plural libellen, diminutive libelletje n)

1. dragonfly, insect of the infraorder Anisoptera
2. dragonfly or damselfly, insect of the order Odonata

Alternative forms

• libelle

Hyponyms

• (insect of the order Odonata): beekjuffer, breedscheenjuffer, pantserjuffer, waterjuffer, winterjuffer

Etymology 2

From Latin libellus, diminutive of liber (“book”).

Noun

libel n (plural libellen, diminutive libelletje n)

1. booklet, notably a libel (defamatory writing)

Synonyms

• schotschrift
• smaadschrift

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Latin libella.

Noun

libel f (plural libellen, diminutive libelletje n)

1. A vial of a level.

References

• M. J. Koenen & J. Endepols, Verklarend Handwoordenboek der Nederlandse Taal (tevens Vreemde-woordentolk), Groningen, Wolters-Noordhoff, 1969 (26th edition) [Dutch dictionary in Dutch]