gabby
UK[ˈɡæbi]US[ˈɡæbi]
adj
Tending to talk a great deal; talkative.
Etymology
The word 'gabby' is a relatively modern English formation, emerging in the early 20th century. Its core, 'gab', is of Germanic origin, likely entering English from Old Norse 'gabb' meaning "mockery" or via Middle English 'gabben' meaning "to speak idly or boastfully". The semantic journey moved from the concept of mocking or idle speech to simply meaning "to talk", and finally, with the addition of the productive suffix '-y', it formed an adjective describing a person characterized by such talk. The logic of the word is transparent in modern English: 'gab' (talk) + '-y' (full of/inclined to) directly yields the meaning "inclined to talk".
Analysis
The word 'gabby' is a simplex word formed by adding the English adjectival suffix '-y' (meaning "characterized by; inclined to") to the informal base 'gab', meaning "idle talk" or "chatter".
Examples
She's a friendly but gabby neighbor who always stops for a chat.
The radio host is famously gabby, often talking over his guests.
He became less gabby as the serious nature of the meeting became clear.