Mumbling
/ˈmʌm.blɪŋ/noun
Speaking indistinctly or unclearly, often in a low voice.
Did you know?English mumble is an expressive word first recorded in the 16th century, and its repeated nasal sound helped mimic the very act of speaking with a closed or half-closed mouth.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mu-
“An imitative root used for low, closed-mouth sounds”
Late Latin
Latin
murmurare
“To mutter or murmur”
Old French
Old French
momer
“To mumble, mutter”
Middle English
English
momblen / mumblen
“To speak indistinctly or with a closed mouth”
16th Century
English
mumble
“To speak in a low, unclear, or indistinct way”
Modern English
English
mumbling
“Speaking indistinctly or in a low, unclear voice”