"talk artlessly and childishly," 1530年代，是 prate（參見）的頻繁動詞形式（或減小形式）； 也參見 -el（2）和（3）。相關詞彙： Prattled； prattling。名詞“無關緊要或幼稚的談話”可追溯至1550年代。
Prattle is generally harmless, if not pleasant, as the prattle of a child, or of a simple-minded person ; prating now generally suggests the idea of boasting or talking above one's knowledge ; chat is easy conversation upon light and agreeable subjects ... ; chatter is incessant or abundant talk, seeming rather foolish and sounding pretty much alike ; babble or babbling is talk that is foolish to inaneness, as that of the drunkard (Prov. xxiii. 29) .... [Century Dictionary, 1895]
Prattle 通常是無害的，如果不是愉快的，就像孩子或頭腦簡單的人的 prattle 一樣； prating 現在通常暗示吹噓或談論超出自己的知識範圍； chat 是輕鬆愉快的話題上的簡單對話...； chatter 是不斷或豐富的談話，看起來相當愚蠢，聽起來差不多； babble 或 babbling 是愚蠢到無聊的談話，就像醉漢的談話（箴言23:29）.... [世紀詞典，1895]
