Speaks rapidly and unintelligibly, usually because of fear, excitement, or confusion, making sounds that don't form clear words.
From Middle English 'gibber', possibly imitative in origin, mimicking the sound of rapid, unclear speech. Related to 'jibber-jabber' and 'gibberish'. The term has been used since at least the 1600s to describe incoherent speech, especially from nervous or excited people.
The word 'gibberish' (nonsense speech) comes directly from this verb—when someone gibbers, they're literally producing gibberish! Medieval people used this onomatopoeia-like word to capture the exact sound of panicked or excited rambling, and it's so effective that the word has barely changed in 400 years.
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