Etymology Dictionary

BAUBLE (1),  a fool's mace.  (C.?, with E. suffix.)   This seems to be a different word from bauble, a plaything, and appears earlier in English.   M.E. babyll, babulle, bable, explained in Prompt. Parv. p. 20, by 'librilla, pegma.'   Palsgrave has:  'Bable for a fool, marotte.'   'As he that with his babel plaide;' Gower, C. A. i. 224.   β. See Way's note in Prompt. Parv., shewing that librilla means a stick with a thong, for weighing meat, or for use as a sling; and pegma means a stick with a weight suspended from it, for inflicting blows with.   It was no doubt so called from the wagging or swinging motion with which it was employed; from the verb 'bablyn, or babelyn, or waveryn, librillo;' Prompt. Parv. p. 20.   We also find, at the same reference, 'babelynge, or wauerynge, vacillacio, librillacio.'   γ. Were this verb still in use, we should express it by bobble, formed, as many frequentatives are, by adding the suffix -le; so that to bobble would mean to bob frequently, to keep swinging about; cf. straggle from stray, nibble from nip.   See Bob.

BAUBLE (2),  a plaything.  (F.,—Ital.)   Shak. has bauble in the sense of a trifle, a useless plaything, Tam. Shrew, iv. 3. 32.   This is probably a mere adaptation of the F. babiole, modified so as to coincide with bauble in the sense of 'a fool's mace.'—F. babiole, 'a trifle, whimwham, gugaw, or small toy, for a childe to play with all;' Cot.—Ital. babbola; pl. babbole, child's toys (Diez; s.v. babbeo).—Ital. babbeo, a simpleton; with which cf. Low Lat. babulus, baburrus, a simpleton.   These words express the notion of stuttering, or uttering inarticulate sounds, like Gk. βαβάζω, to chatter, and E. babble, q.v.   ¶ Some connect the word with E. babe, which I believe to be quite a mistake, as shewn s.v. babe.