Most of us today would define the verb "garble" as "reproducing (a message, sound, or transmission) in a confused and distorted way." The noun would be "a garbled account or transmission." But it wasn't always so.
The word got its start in English as Anglo-Norman "garbeler" meaning to "sift" and moved on to Middle English "garbelen," which meant "to inspect and remove refuse from spices." There was in 18th century London the government office of "Garbler of Spices."
How did we get from "sift" to "confused and distorted." That's something I'd like to know!
garble
- Slava
- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Re: garble
Taken up and treated here.
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.
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