Apparently cognate with or formed similarly to Middle Dutch rabbelen to speak indistinctly (Dutch rabbelen (regional (south)) to speak hurriedly or indistincly, (regional (Flemish)) to talk about trifles), German regional (Low German: Lüneburg) rabbeln to speak hurriedly and thoughtlessly, Swedish rabbla to babble, talk indistinctly or monotonously (18th cent.), Danish rable (compare early modern Danish roble to work carelessly), ultimately of imitative origin; compare -le suffix 3. Compare Old Icelandic rabba to babble, Norwegian (Nynorsk) rabba to babble, talk nonsense. Compare also the apparently unrelated classical Latin rabula ranting speaker (see rabulous adj.). Compare earlier babble v.1 and also brabble v.