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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Gibberish #1459 04/18/2000 9:55 AM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 2 Israel efroch stranger efroch stranger Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 2 Israel Hello, could anyone please tell me about the etymology for this word? Thanks, Anat Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: Gibberish #1460 04/19/2000 8:15 AM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 1,981 jmh Pooh-Bah jmh Pooh-Bah Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 1,981 I'm pretty sure it comes from the word "Gibber" - to make the characteristic sound of a monkey. Its an imitative word - according to my Collins Dictionary - 17th century. (For Ozzies - I see there is another Australian meaning for gibber - boulder or stone, or dry flat area covered in stones - as in gibber plans) Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: Gibberish #1461 04/22/2000 12:27 PM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 460 Hobart, Tasmania, Australia paulb addict paulb addict Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 460 Hobart, Tasmania, Australia Hello efroch: My Shorter Oxford dates "gibberish" as early 16th century and defines it as "unintelligible speech belonging to no known language, a series of meaningless sounds; blundering or ungrammatical talk; nonsense". Cheers Paul Bywater Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary Forum Statistics Forums16 Topics13,915 Posts230,262 Members9,208 Most Online4,606 Sep 17th, 2025 Newest Members JerryC, blvd, Tony Hood, Wood Delivery, Forix Richard 9,208 Registered Users Top Posters(30 Days) wofahulicodoc 26 A C Bowden 9 LukeJavan8 2 Forix Richard 1 John Flex 1 handymanhome 1 JerryC 1 Wood Delivery 1 Trusted Roofing 1 John Fox 1 Top Posters wwh 13,858 Faldage 13,803 Jackie 11,613 wofahulicodoc 11,122 tsuwm 10,542 LukeJavan8 9,974 Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210 AnnaStrophic 6,511 Wordwind 6,296 of troy 5,400

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