Babel
/ˈbeɪ.bəl/noun
A city mentioned in the Bible, often associated with confusion of languages.
Did you know?The biblical Tower of Babel symbolizes humanity's hubris in attempting to reach the heavens, resulting in divine intervention and the scattering of languages.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Akkadian
Akkadian
Bāb-ilu
“Gate of God, a reference to the ziggurat temple of Marduk.”
Ancient Hebrew
Hebrew
בָּבֶל (Bavel)
“Confusion; derived from the Akkadian name, implying the disruption of communication.”
Late Latin
Latin
Babel
“Adopted directly from Hebrew, retaining the association with confusion.”
Middle English
Middle English
Babel
“The biblical city representing linguistic chaos.”
Modern English
English
Babel
“Used metaphorically to describe confusion and the mixing of languages.”
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