Where does “psychobabble” come from?
psychobabble (English) comes from English psycho, from English psychology, from French psychologie, from Latin psychologia, from Latin -logia, from Ancient Greek -λογία, from Ancient Greek λόγος, from Ancient Greek λέγω — to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to...
psychobabble (English): The jargon of psychology and psychoanalysis,...
Definitions
- The jargon of psychology and psychoanalysis,...
Ancestry of “psychobabble”, step by step
psychobabble traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English psycho
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | psycho | Psychotic, or otherwise insane; A person who is... |
| 2 | English | psychology | The study of the human mind; The study of human... |
| 3 | French | psychologie | psychology |
| 4 | Latin | psychologia | — |
| 5 | Latin | -logia | -logy; the study of |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -λογία | Base for nouns denoting the study of something,... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | λόγος | That which is said: word, sentence, speech,... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | λέγω | I put in order, arrange, gather; I choose, count,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | leǵ- | to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to... |
via English babble
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | babble | To utter words indistinctly or unintelligibly; to... |
| 2 | Middle English | babelen | — |
| 3 | Old English | bæblian | — |
| 4 | Old English | wæflian | to talk or speak foolishly |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bablōną | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | babalōną | to chatter, babble |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰa-bʰa- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰā- | to say |