Question

babel noun The story of the Tower of Babel comes from the Bible, specifically, Genesis 11:4-9. It describes an attempt by Noah's descendants to build a giant tower that would reach to heaven. God interrupted the project, however, by causing the builders to begin speaking different languages. Construction of the tower ceased, and the people were dispersed over the Earth. The account of the Tower of Babel, which may have been inspired by an actual tower in Babylonia, is generally read as an attempt to explain the diversity of languages. The story has also given English a word for any situation that calls to mind the noisy chaos that would surely have ensued as the workers first tried to communicate using different languages. 1 : (sometimes capitalized Babel) a confusion of sounds or voices2 : (sometimes capitalized Babel) a scene of noise or confusion

Accepted Answer

March 7, 2016 BAY-bul Amidst the babel in the auditorium, Kathy thought she could hear someone calling her name."A steady stream of travelers dragging wheeled suitcases and speaking a Babel of tongues is helping revive downtown Jamaica, a vibrant hub of Queens that weathered several gloomy decades of decay and crime." — Joseph Berger, The New York Times, 30 Dec. 2011

Word	babel
Date	March 7, 2016
Type	noun
Syllables	BAY-bul
Etymology	The story of the Tower of Babel comes from the Bible, specifically, Genesis 11:4-9. It describes an attempt by Noah's descendants to build a giant tower that would reach to heaven. God interrupted the project, however, by causing the builders to begin speaking different languages. Construction of the tower ceased, and the people were dispersed over the Earth. The account of the Tower of Babel, which may have been inspired by an actual tower in Babylonia, is generally read as an attempt to explain the diversity of languages. The story has also given English a word for any situation that calls to mind the noisy chaos that would surely have ensued as the workers first tried to communicate using different languages.
Examples	Amidst the babel in the auditorium, Kathy thought she could hear someone calling her name. "A steady stream of travelers dragging wheeled suitcases and speaking a Babel of tongues is helping revive downtown Jamaica, a vibrant hub of Queens that weathered several gloomy decades of decay and crime." — Joseph Berger, The New York Times, 30 Dec. 2011
Definition	1 : (sometimes capitalized Babel) a confusion of sounds or voices 2 : (sometimes capitalized Babel) a scene of noise or confusion

Tower Babel Languages Story Attempt Speaking Capitalized Confusion