Lall
/lɔːl/noun
To speak indistinctly or babble; in obsolete usage, to lull or soothe.
Did you know?The word belongs to a family of expressive speech terms modeled on infant sounds, including technical words for speech disorders and pathological babbling.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
λαλεῖν (lalein)
“To talk, chatter, or babble; an expressive verb associated with speech.”
Late Latin
Latin
lallāre
“To babble or utter repetitive, childlike sounds.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
lallare
“To make indistinct or inarticulate vocal sounds.”
16th Century
English
lall
“To speak indistinctly or babble.”
Modern English
English
lall
“An archaic or dialectal verb meaning to babble, with historical senses connected to soothing or lulling.”
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