Garbell
/ˈɡɑːr.bəl/noun
To sift, sort, or remove impurities from goods such as spices.
Did you know?Garbell entered English through medieval trade vocabulary connected with inspecting and cleaning imported spices, while its related sense “garble” later shifted toward distorting words.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
ġarbala
“To sift or separate impurities from something.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
garbellare
“To sift or inspect merchandise, especially spices.”
13th–14th Century
Italian
garbellare
“To sieve or cleanse goods.”
14th–15th Century
Anglo-French
garbeler
“To sift, inspect, or remove inferior material.”
15th Century
English
garbell
“To sift or cleanse goods, particularly spices.”
Modern English
English
garble
“To distort, confuse, or misrepresent information; historically, to sift merchandise.”