Etymograph

English

garble

Garble comes from Anglo-Norman garbeler ‘to sift’, from Arabic غِرْبَال ‘sieve’, and ultimately from Aramaic עַרְבָּלָא.

  1. Aramaicc. 1000 BCE–700 CEעַרְבָּלָא
  2. Arabicc. 500–presentغِرْبَالḡirbāl‘sieve’
  3. Arabic, derivedc. 500–presentغَرْبَلَḡarbala‘to sift’
  4. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500garbellare
  5. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400garbeler‘to sift’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500garbelen
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1722garble

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Aramaicc. 1000 BCE–700 CEעַרְבָּלָא
  2. Arabicc. 500–presentغِرْبَالḡirbāl‘sieve’
  3. Arabic, derivedc. 500–presentغَرْبَلَḡarbala‘to sift’
  4. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500garbellare
  5. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400garbeler‘to sift’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500garbelen
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1722garble

Earliest quotation: 1722, Daniel Defoe, Moll Flanders: “In a word, as the whole relation is carefully…”

Every English word from Aramaic עַרְבָּלָא

Today it means

verb To pick out such parts (of a text) as may serve a purpose not intended by the original author; to mutilate; to pervert.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Aramaic עַרְבָּלָא / garble

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