Joachim
Delving into the cyba-cave, I found the following nuggets (c.
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/cybalist/message/14590 ). Possibly an
independent coining, cf. English blah-blah and Latin _balbus_ 'stammering'.
There are also Sumerian _barbar_ 'foreigner' and Akkadian _barbaru_
'stranger'.
I must say I find the idea of a possible BEL-GON connection appealing -
bel-bel 'talk nonsense'? Thematicisation would immediately give Sanskrit
_barbara_!
Richard.
Have you been ordered to cite your master's "theorem"? ;-)
Latin balbus is probably of onomatopoeic origin; baby's bla-bla;
Serbian blebetanje (babble; from bla-ble-gon; Greek λαλαγεω) ;-)
It demands a more profound psychological and philosophical "delving";
i.e. your bla-bla or ble-ble "nonsensical talking" (beside gn-gn and
gr-gr) might be the one of the key stones for the understanding of the
development of human speech.
βαρβαρος was a common name for the all non-Greek-speaking peoples;
similar to the Slavonic name for the Germans Nemci (the dumb, mutes).
In those kind of words l <=> r sound alteration is quite a common
phenomenon.
Therefore, even in Serbian we have blebetabje/lupetanje and brbljanje/
brbljarija/brbljati all with the meaning "talking nonsense, babble";
cf. Spanish barbullar/balbucir (babble), balbuceo (stammer, babble);
Italian balbettamento (stammer); Russian лепетать; German plappern;
French babillage etc.
DV