What is the meaning of the word babel?

Answer 1

There is, ironically, a bit of confusion about this word.

The key is found, in fact, in THREE languages and one story. Several have caught two pieces of this; none has put it together.

1. This precise form "Babel" is simply a transliteration of the HEBRW word for the city of Babylon.

In fact, this word is rendered AS "Babylon" in EVERY biblical use EXCEPT for the story of "the tower of Babel" in Genesis 11. In other words, the expected translation in that story is actuaolly "tower of Babylon", but for other reasons (noted below) our ENGLISH translations have chosen to render it differently in just this one instance.

2. The STORY of the tower of Babylon ("Babel") is about God's CONFUSING the languages of the people of the earth (esp. of Mesopotamia) to prevent them from carrying out their goal to "make a name for themselves..." It's debated whether this biblical story was meant to be a literal, complete story of 'where different languages came from' or simply an illustration of how people became divided and how, by God's oversight, these divisions thwarted their efforts to rebel against him and go their own way. (In particular, the story may have been a mocking retelling of the various attempts of the Mesopotamians to build empires and how these faltered by human division, including the different languages of the peoples of the empire.)

At any rate, as a result of this story, the word "Babel" in English has come to refer more generally to 'confusion of tongues' and speech that others cannot comprehend. The movie that has just come out is based on this story and meaning of the word (as is clear from the movie's trailer which specifically quotes from the story of Genesis 11).

3. The Hebrew form of the name "Babel" is borrowed from the name the city was called by in AKKADIAN (the Semitic language of Babylon itself) - "Babilu". The Akkadians explained the name as meaning "gate [bab] of God [ilu].

But in the story of Genesis 11 the writer is MOCKING these claims. In fact, the story is FILLED with Hebrew wordplays, making fun of what the people were attempting to do. It all culminates in a new, mocking explanation of the name of the city itself as related to the HEBREW veb "balal" which means "to confuse". Of course, the writer knew this wasn't the historical reason for the name. The whole point was to MOCK. One might render the key line something like "so the city is appropriately called 'Confusion'!"

4. One more piece --most often missed. The decision of English translators to render Hebrew "Babel" as such in JUST this one instance is no doubt based on the ENGLISH word "babble" (that is, incoherent speech or baby talk), a word attested in English as early as the 13th century [Oxford English Dictionary].

Since English already had this word, the reason for the decision should be obvious. It fits so very perfectly with the point of the story!! To the people in the story, who could not undertand each other's speech, the foreign languages of their neighbors DID sound preciesely like "babble"! So this was just a very happy, convenient co-incidence... not anything in the Hebrew or Akkadian languages. (It's actually rather in the spirit of the Hebrew writer playing on a word in his own language to make the main joke in the story.)

Answer 2

Babel means confusion,

Answer 3

You got your meaning in previous answers. I just wanted to say that I saw the movie Babel today and it was excellent. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett both gave absolutely amazing performances. It is the best movie I have seen all year, and I see a lot of them. This one is a must-see.

Answer 4

It's from "The Tower of Babel" - a story in the bible.

In the story "all the people" of the earth were building a very tall tower to "reach" the heavens. This upset god and so he "confused their tongues" so that they couldn't undertand each other and the tower was abandonded.

(Mind you, I think this is a myth - just telling you that it's a bible story - where it got it's origins)

Answer 5

well babel means a confusion of voices and other sounds...

Answer 6

Ba‧bel  /ˈbeɪbəl, ˈbæbəl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[bey-buhl, bab-uhl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1.an ancient city in the land of Shinar in which the building of a tower (Tower of Babel) intended to reach heaven was begun and the confusion of the language of the people took place. Gen. 11:4–9.
2.(usually lowercase) a confused mixture of sounds or voices.
3.(usually lowercase) a scene of noise and confusion.
[Origin: < Heb Bābhel Babylon]

—Related forms
Ba‧bel‧ic /beɪˈbɛlɪk, bæ-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[bey-bel-ik, ba-] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation, adjective

—Synonyms 3. tumult, turmoil, uproar, bedlam, clamor.

Answer 7

babel i believe is a country, jewish

Answer 8

To ramble on in nonsense, like what a baby would do before ithey learn to talk

Answer 9

that movie looks dumb