The exact origin of the word gibberish is unknown, though the word has been in the language since the sixteenth century. We will examine the definition of the word gibberish, where it may have come from and some examples of its use in sentences.
Gibberish is speech or writing that is meaningless, incoherent, or unintelligible. Gibberish is speech or writing that belongs to no known language, consisting of sounds that are not actual words. Gibberish is a disparaging term, often applied to language that is made meaningless through the overuse of technical or legal terms. The origin of the word gibberish is unknown. Some believe it comes from the Arabic writer, Abu Musa Jabir bin Hayyan, which may have been one person or a pseudonym for a group of people. Writings attributed to Abu Musa Jabir bin Hayyan are dense and difficult to understand. Others believe erish is simply an onomatopoetic word, styled after the word jabber.
Examples
The attraction of Lewis Carroll’s gibberish poem, Jabberwocky, is that it touches the tender terror of bad dreams in a form that delights even as it bites. (The Edmonton Journal)
MacArthur offered the same layers of gibberish we’ve heard from the Republican establishment about all of the wonderful tax relief the bill will provide for the middle class, steering clear of the punitive nature for New Jersey and the disproportionate benefits for the wealthy. (The Daily Record)
The sonnets’ dedication, like the text on the Shakespeare monument, is “gibberish” until one deciphers its hidden messages, he said. (The Guardian)
Deaf citizens of Manatee County tuned into the urgent Irma press conference last Friday only to find the amateur interpreter signing gibberish. (The Daily Mail)