gurgle

English

WOTD – 6 July 2009

Etymology

Back formation from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] 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 (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin gurguliō (“throat”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡəː.ɡəl/
• 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) (karkačʻel), պճպճալ (hy) (pčpčal)
• Bulgarian: бълбукам (bg) (bǎlbukam)
• Czech: bublat
• Finnish: kurluttaa
• Galician: gorgolexar
• German: gurgeln (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• 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)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• 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) (klklocʻ), բլդբլդոց (hy) (bldbldocʻ)
• 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
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• 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. (deprecated template usage) First-person singular present of gurgeln.
2. (deprecated template usage) Imperative singular of gurgeln.
3. (deprecated template usage) First-person singular subjunctive I of gurgeln.
4. (deprecated template usage) Third-person singular subjunctive I of gurgeln.