Brabble
/ˈbræb.əl/noun
To quarrel noisily and foolishly, or a noisy foolish quarrel.
Did you know?Brabble is an old English word for noisy, pointless arguing, and its origin is likely imitative—built to *sound* like the squabbling it describes rather than borrowed from a mystical root.
Etymological Timeline
Late Middle English
English
brablen
“To quarrel noisily; to bicker in a foolish, clattering way.”
14th–15th Century
English
brabble
“A noisy dispute or wrangle.”
Middle English
English
brabbelen
“To make a noisy, confused fuss; to quarrel.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*brabb-
“Likely an imitative base suggesting chattering or noisy talk.”
Modern English
English
brabble
“To argue noisily and pettily; a petty quarrel.”