baragouin - Meaning, Image, Examples & Etymology - Learn English Visually

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baragouin

|ba-ra-gouin|

/ˈbærəɡwɪn/

unintelligible speech

Etymology

Etymology Information

'baragouin' originates from Breton, specifically the phrase 'bara gwin', where 'bara' meant 'bread' and 'gwin' meant 'wine'.

Historical Evolution

'baragouin' changed from the Breton phrase 'bara gwin' into French as 'baragouin' (a mocking rendering of Breton speech) and was later borrowed into English with the same spelling and meaning.

Meaning Changes

Initially, it referred specifically to Breton (perceived as) unintelligible speech, but over time it evolved into its current meaning of any unintelligible or nonsensical speech.

Meanings by Part of Speech

Noun 1

unintelligible or meaningless speech; gibberish.

He listened to nothing but baragouin and couldn't make sense of it.

Synonyms

gibberish nonsensegobbledygookdrivel babble

Antonyms

sense clarity coherence intelligibility

Noun 2

speech that is difficult to understand because of dialect, accent, or specialized jargon; technical or obscure language (jargon).

To outsiders the meeting sounded like baragouin full of technical terms.

Synonyms