babel: [14] According to Genesis 11: 1–9, the tower of Babel was built in Shinar by the descendants of Noah in an attempt to reach heaven. Angered at their presumption, God punished the builders by making them unable to understand each other’s speech: hence, according to legend, the various languages of the world. Hence, too, the metaphorical application of babel to a ‘confused medley of sounds’, which began in English in the 16th century.
The word has no etymological connection with ‘language’ or ‘noise’, however. The original Assyrian bāb-ilu meant ‘gate of god’, and this was borrowed into Hebrew as bābel (from which English acquired the word). The later Greek version is Babylon. => babylon
Babel
capital of Babylon, late 14c., from Hebrew Babhel (Gen. xi), from Akkadian bab-ilu "Gate of God" (from bab "gate" + ilu "god"). The name is a translation of Sumerian Ka-dingir. Meaning "confused medley of sounds" (1520s) is from the biblical story of the Tower of Babel.
雙語例句
1. The result was a mishmash a Babel - like mix .
結果產生出一種巴別( Babel )式的語言大雜燴.
來自互聯網
2. Amid the babel of voices, Hurstwood heard one close beside him.
在一片混亂聲中, 赫斯渥聽到一個聲音就在他身邊說話.
來自英漢文學 - 嘉莉妹妹
3. At this the babel of voices broke loose again.
以後就又是龐雜的四個人同時說話的聲音.
來自子夜部分
4. A babel of voices could be heard from the schoolroom.
可以聽見教室裏一陣嘈雜的聲音.
來自辭典例句
5. A babel of voices could be heard from the street.