gurgle

English

WOTD – 6 July 2009

Etymology

Back formation from Middle English gurguling "a rumbling in the belly". Akin to Middle Dutch gorgelen (“to gurgle”), Middle Low German gorgelen (“to gurgle”), German gurgeln (“to gargle”), and perhaps to Latin gurguliō (“throat”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɡəː.ɡəl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɝ.ɡəl/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(r)ɡəl

Verb

gurgle (third-person singular simple present gurgles, present participle gurgling, simple past and past participle gurgled)

1. To flow with a bubbling sound.

   The bath water gurgled down the drain.

   • Young

     Pure gurgling rills the lonely desert trace, / And waste their music on the savage race.

2. To make such a sound.

   The baby gurgled with delight.

Translations

to flow with a bubbling sound

• Armenian: կլկլալ (hy) (klklal), բլդբլդալ (hy) (bldbldal), կարկաչել (hy) (karkačʿel), պճպճալ (hy) (pčpčal)
• Bulgarian: бълбукам (bg) (bǎlbukam)
• Czech: bublat
• Finnish: kurluttaa
• Galician: gorgolexar
• German: gurgeln (de)

• Hungarian: bugyborékol (hu)
• Italian: gorgogliare (it), fiottare, croccolare, bruire
• Maori: kokō
• Portuguese: gorgolejar
• Russian: бу́лькать (ru) (búlʹkatʹ), журча́ть (ru) (žurčátʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: dèan glugan

to make such a sound

• Czech: bublat
• Finnish: kurluttaa
• French: gargouiller (fr)
• Galician: gorgolexar
• German: gurgeln (de)
• Hebrew: גִּרְגֵּר‎ (he) (girgér)
• Hungarian: gurgulázik (hu)

• Maori: tatangi, kokō
• Norman: gargouoilli, dêgouglonner
• Norwegian: gurgle (no)
• Polish: bulgotać (pl) impf, gulgotać impf
• Portuguese: gorgolejar
• Russian: бу́лькать (ru) impf (búlʹkatʹ), бу́лькнуть (ru) pf (búlʹknutʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: dèan glugan

Noun

gurgle (plural gurgles)

1. A gurgling sound.
   • 1898, J. Meade Falkner, Moonfleet Chapter 4

     Then the conversation broke off, and there was little more talking, only a noise of men going backwards and forwards, and of putting down of kegs and the hollow gurgle of good liquor being poured from breakers into the casks.

Translations

gurgling sound

• Armenian: կլկլոց (hy) (klklocʿ), բլդբլդոց (hy) (bldbldocʿ)
• Bulgarian: бълбукане n (bǎlbukane)
• Czech: bublání n
• Finnish: kurlutus
• French: gargouillis (fr) m
• Galician: gorgolexo m, gorgolo m
• German: Gurgeln (de) n
• Italian: gorgoglio (it) m, gorgogliare (it) m, gorgoglìo m

• Japanese: ごぼごぼ (gobogobo)
• Maori: kokō
• Polish: bulgot, gulgot, bulgotanie (pl), gaworzenie (pl)
• Portuguese: gorgolejo m
• Russian: бу́льканье (ru) n (búlʹkanʹje)
• Scottish Gaelic: glugan m
• Spanish: gluglú

Anagrams

• glurge, lugger

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German

Verb

gurgle

1. First-person singular present of gurgeln.
2. Imperative singular of gurgeln.
3. First-person singular subjunctive I of gurgeln.
4. Third-person singular subjunctive I of gurgeln.