Babel

[bey-buh l, bab-uh l] /ˈbeɪ bəl, ˈbæb əl/
noun
1.
an ancient city in the land of Shinar in which the building of a tower (Tower of Babel) intended to reach heaven was begun and the confusion of the language of the people took place. Gen. 11:4–9.
2.
(usually lowercase) a confused mixture of sounds or voices.
3.
(usually lowercase) a scene of noise and confusion.
Origin
< Hebrew Bābhel Babylon
Related forms
Babelic
[bey-bel-ik, ba-] /beɪˈbɛl ɪk, bæ-/ (Show IPA), adjective
Synonyms
3. tumult, turmoil, uproar, bedlam, clamor.

Babel

[bab-uh l; Russian bah-byil] /ˈbæb əl; Russian ˈbɑ byɪl/
noun
1.
Isaak Emmanuilovich
[ahy-zuh k;; Russian ee-sahk yi-muh-noo-yee-luh-vyich] /ˈaɪ zək;; Russian iˈsɑk yɪ mə nuˈyi lə vyɪtʃ/ (Show IPA), 1894–1941, Russian author.
British Dictionary definitions for Babel

Babel1

/ˈbeɪbəl/
noun
1.
(Old Testament)
  1. Also called Tower of Babel. a tower presumptuously intended to reach from earth to heaven, the building of which was frustrated when Jehovah confused the language of the builders (Genesis 11:1–9)
  2. the city, probably Babylon, in which this tower was supposedly built
2.
(often not capital)
  1. a confusion of noises or voices
  2. a scene of noise and confusion
Word Origin
from Hebrew Bābhél, from Akkadian Bāb-ilu, literally: gate of God

Babel2

/Russian ˈbabɪl/
noun
1.
Issak Emmanuilovich (iˈsak imənuˈiləvitʃ) 1894–1941, Russian short-story writer, whose works include Stories from Odessa(1924) and Red Cavalry (1926)
Word Origin and History for Babel

capital of Babylon, late 14c., from Hebrew Babhel (Gen. xi), from Akkadian bab-ilu "Gate of God" (from bab "gate" + ilu "god"). The name is a translation of Sumerian Ka-dingir. Meaning "confused medley of sounds" (1520s) is from the biblical story of the Tower of Babel.

Babel in Technology

1. A subset of ALGOL 60, with many ALGOL W extensions.
["BABEL, A New Programming Language", R.S. Scowen, Natl Phys Lab UK, Report CCU7, 1969].
2. Mentioned in The Psychology of Computer Programming, G.M. Weinberg, Van Nostrand 1971, p.241.
3. A language based on higher-order functions and first-order logic.
["Graph-Based Implementation of a Functional Logic Language", H. Kuchen et al, Proc ESOP 90, LNCS 432, Springer 1990, pp.271-290].
["Logic Programming with Functions and Predicates: The Language BABEL", Moreno-Navarro et al, J Logic Prog 12(3) (Feb 1992)].
(1994-11-28)