"Babel" meaning in English

See Babel in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Proper name

IPA: /ˈbeɪ.bl̩/ [Received-Pronunciation], /ˈbæb.l̩/ [General-American], /ˈbeɪ.bl̩/ [Canada], /ˈbæb.l̩/ [Canada] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Babel.wav
Rhymes: -eɪbəl, -æbəl Etymology: From Latin Babel, from Biblical Hebrew בָּבֶל (bāḇel, “Babylon”), from Akkadian 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 (Bābilim); in Genesis associated with the idea of confusion. Doublet of Babylon. Etymology templates: {{der|en|la|Babel}} Latin Babel, {{der|en|hbo|בָּבֶל|t=Babylon|tr=bāḇel}} Biblical Hebrew בָּבֶל (bāḇel, “Babylon”), {{der|en|akk|Bābilim|𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠|tr=Bābilim}} Akkadian 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 (Bābilim), {{doublet|en|Babylon}} Doublet of Babylon Head templates: {{en-prop}} Babel
  1. (biblical) The city and tower in the land of Shinar where the confusion of languages took place, according to the Bible. Translations (Biblical city and tower): بَابِل (bābil) [feminine] (Arabic), Babel [neuter] (Dutch), Babelo (Esperanto), Babel (Franco-Provençal), Babel (Galician), Babel [masculine] (German), Babel (Indonesian), バベル (Baberu) (Japanese), 바벨 (english: Babel) (Korean), Babelis [masculine] (Lithuanian), बॅबेल (bĕbel) (Marathi), بابل (Bābil) (Ottoman Turkish), Babel [feminine] (Polish), Babel (Portuguese), Babeli (Sicilian), Babel (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-Babel-en-name-Duko8Gdl Categories (other): Bible, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 6 entries, Pages with entries, Terms with Arabic translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Esperanto translations, Terms with Franco-Provençal translations, Terms with Galician translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Indonesian translations, Terms with Japanese translations, Terms with Korean translations, Terms with Lithuanian translations, Terms with Marathi translations, Terms with Ottoman Turkish translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Sicilian translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Bible Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 67 14 2 18 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 71 7 2 19 Disambiguation of Pages with 6 entries: 30 3 1 6 12 15 8 24 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 29 2 1 6 13 16 8 25 Disambiguation of Terms with Arabic translations: 74 8 3 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 68 11 3 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Esperanto translations: 75 8 2 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Franco-Provençal translations: 75 8 3 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Galician translations: 69 11 4 17 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 69 11 4 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Indonesian translations: 69 11 4 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Japanese translations: 74 9 3 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Korean translations: 71 9 3 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Lithuanian translations: 69 11 4 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Marathi translations: 71 9 3 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Ottoman Turkish translations: 69 13 2 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 69 11 3 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 74 8 3 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Sicilian translations: 71 9 3 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 76 8 2 14 Disambiguation of Bible: 97 1 1 1 Topics: biblical, lifestyle, religion

Noun

IPA: /ˈbeɪ.bl̩/ [Received-Pronunciation], /ˈbæb.l̩/ [General-American], /ˈbeɪ.bl̩/ [Canada], /ˈbæb.l̩/ [Canada] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Babel.wav Forms: Babels [plural], babel [alternative]
Rhymes: -eɪbəl, -æbəl Etymology: From Latin Babel, from Biblical Hebrew בָּבֶל (bāḇel, “Babylon”), from Akkadian 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 (Bābilim); in Genesis associated with the idea of confusion. Doublet of Babylon. Etymology templates: {{der|en|la|Babel}} Latin Babel, {{der|en|hbo|בָּבֶל|t=Babylon|tr=bāḇel}} Biblical Hebrew בָּבֶל (bāḇel, “Babylon”), {{der|en|akk|Bābilim|𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠|tr=Bābilim}} Akkadian 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 (Bābilim), {{doublet|en|Babylon}} Doublet of Babylon Head templates: {{en-noun}} Babel (plural Babels)
  1. A confused mixture of sounds and voices, especially in different languages.
    Sense id: en-Babel-en-noun-wqVoq77Y
  2. A place or scene of noise and confusion.
    Sense id: en-Babel-en-noun-PIl2S446
  3. A tall, looming structure. Derived forms: Babeldom, Babelesque, Babel fish, Babelian, Babelish, babelization, tower of Babel Related terms: Wiktionary Babel for user pages
    Sense id: en-Babel-en-noun-0ooq0KvV

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

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      "expansion": "Akkadian 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 (Bābilim)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "Babylon"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of Babylon",
      "name": "doublet"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Latin Babel, from Biblical Hebrew בָּבֶל (bāḇel, “Babylon”), from Akkadian 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 (Bābilim); in Genesis associated with the idea of confusion. Doublet of Babylon.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "Babel",
      "name": "en-prop"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Bible"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              35,
              40
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 11:9, column 2:",
          "text": "Therefore is the name of it called Babel[…]",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The city and tower in the land of Shinar where the confusion of languages took place, according to the Bible."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "biblical",
          "Bible"
        ],
        [
          "Shinar",
          "Shinar"
        ],
        [
          "confusion",
          "confusion"
        ],
        [
          "language",
          "language"
        ],
        [
          "Bible",
          "Bible"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(biblical) The city and tower in the land of Shinar where the confusion of languages took place, according to the Bible."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "biblical",
        "lifestyle",
        "religion"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbeɪ.bl̩/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Babel.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/1a/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Babel.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Babel.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/1a/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Babel.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Babel.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbæb.l̩/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbeɪ.bl̩/",
      "tags": [
        "Canada"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbæb.l̩/",
      "tags": [
        "Canada"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-eɪbəl"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-æbəl"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "lang_code": "ar",
      "roman": "bābil",
      "sense": "Biblical city and tower",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "بَابِل"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "lang_code": "nl",
      "sense": "Biblical city and tower",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Babel"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "lang_code": "eo",
      "sense": "Biblical city and tower",
      "word": "Babelo"
    },
    {
      "code": "frp",
      "lang": "Franco-Provençal",
      "lang_code": "frp",
      "sense": "Biblical city and tower",
      "word": "Babel"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "lang_code": "gl",
      "sense": "Biblical city and tower",
      "word": "Babel"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "lang_code": "de",
      "sense": "Biblical city and tower",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Babel"
    },
    {
      "code": "id",
      "lang": "Indonesian",
      "lang_code": "id",
      "sense": "Biblical city and tower",
      "word": "Babel"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "lang_code": "ja",
      "roman": "Baberu",
      "sense": "Biblical city and tower",
      "word": "バベル"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "english": "Babel",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "lang_code": "ko",
      "sense": "Biblical city and tower",
      "translation": "Babel",
      "word": "바벨"
    },
    {
      "code": "lt",
      "lang": "Lithuanian",
      "lang_code": "lt",
      "sense": "Biblical city and tower",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Babelis"
    },
    {
      "code": "mr",
      "lang": "Marathi",
      "lang_code": "mr",
      "roman": "bĕbel",
      "sense": "Biblical city and tower",
      "word": "बॅबेल"
    },
    {
      "code": "ota",
      "lang": "Ottoman Turkish",
      "lang_code": "ota",
      "roman": "Bābil",
      "sense": "Biblical city and tower",
      "word": "بابل"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "lang_code": "pl",
      "sense": "Biblical city and tower",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Babel"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "sense": "Biblical city and tower",
      "word": "Babel"
    },
    {
      "code": "scn",
      "lang": "Sicilian",
      "lang_code": "scn",
      "sense": "Biblical city and tower",
      "word": "Babeli"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "sense": "Biblical city and tower",
      "word": "Babel"
    }
  ],
  "word": "Babel"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English doublets",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English proper nouns",
    "English terms derived from Akkadian",
    "English terms derived from Biblical Hebrew",
    "English terms derived from Latin",
    "English terms derived from the Bible",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 6 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Requests for gender in Spanish entries",
    "Rhymes:English/eɪbəl",
    "Rhymes:English/æbəl",
    "Rhymes:English/æbəl/2 syllables",
    "Terms with Arabic translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Esperanto translations",
    "Terms with Franco-Provençal translations",
    "Terms with Galician translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Indonesian translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Korean translations",
    "Terms with Lithuanian translations",
    "Terms with Marathi translations",
    "Terms with Ottoman Turkish translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Sicilian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "en:Bible"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "Babeldom"
    },
    {
      "word": "Babelesque"
    },
    {
      "word": "Babel fish"
    },
    {
      "word": "Babelian"
    },
    {
      "word": "Babelish"
    },
    {
      "word": "babelization"
    },
    {
      "word": "tower of Babel"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "Babel"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin Babel",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hbo",
        "3": "בָּבֶל",
        "t": "Babylon",
        "tr": "bāḇel"
      },
      "expansion": "Biblical Hebrew בָּבֶל (bāḇel, “Babylon”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "akk",
        "3": "Bābilim",
        "4": "𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠",
        "tr": "Bābilim"
      },
      "expansion": "Akkadian 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 (Bābilim)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "Babylon"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of Babylon",
      "name": "doublet"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Latin Babel, from Biblical Hebrew בָּבֶל (bāḇel, “Babylon”), from Akkadian 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 (Bābilim); in Genesis associated with the idea of confusion. Doublet of Babylon.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "Babels",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "babel",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "Babel (plural Babels)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "Wiktionary Babel for user pages"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "from 16th c.",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              142,
              147
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1913 June–December, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York, N.Y.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg, published March 1915, →OCLC:",
          "text": "As the three were making their way through the crowds of marketers, camels, donkeys, and horses that filled the market place with a confusing babel of sounds, Abdul plucked at Tarzan’s sleeve.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              2,
              7
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2007, Edwin Mullins, The Popes of Avignon, Blue Bridge, published 2008, page 48:",
          "text": "A babel of languages could be heard in the streets and the squares, mingling with the local Provençal.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A confused mixture of sounds and voices, especially in different languages."
      ]
    },
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "from 16th c.",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A place or scene of noise and confusion."
      ]
    },
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "from 16th c.",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A tall, looming structure."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbeɪ.bl̩/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Babel.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/1a/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Babel.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Babel.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/1a/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Babel.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-Babel.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbæb.l̩/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbeɪ.bl̩/",
      "tags": [
        "Canada"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbæb.l̩/",
      "tags": [
        "Canada"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-eɪbəl"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-æbəl"
    }
  ],
  "word": "Babel"
}

Download raw JSONL data for Babel meaning in English (9.5kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-01-25 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-01-01 using wiktextract (f492ef9 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.