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gobbledygook

UK[ˈɡɒb.əl.di.ɡuːk]US[ˈɡɑː.bəl.di.ɡʊk]
n

language that is meaningless or hard to understand because it is full of technical terms or nonsense words.

Etymology

the word 'gobbledygook' is a fanciful, invented term coined in the 1940s by united states congressman maury maverick. he derived it from the verb 'gobble', imitative of a turkey's sound, to satirize the pompous, convoluted, and unintelligible jargon often found in bureaucratic and official documents. the appended '-dygook' serves no etymological purpose other than to enhance the impression of nonsensical rambling. thus, through a deliberate act of linguistic creativity, a humorous onomatopoeic coinage entered the language to precisely label pretentious and obscure verbiage.

Analysis

this word is a simplex formation, created as a playful, onomatopoeic imitation of the sound of a turkey's gobble, combined with nonsensical syllables. it does not break down into meaningful, reusable morphemes in modern english.

Examples

the legal document was filled with so much gobbledygook that i couldn't understand my own rights.

the software manual was useless, written in complete technical gobbledygook.

he dismissed the politician's long speech as mere gobbledygook designed to obscure the real issues.

gobbledygook – Meaning, Etymology & Word Origin | OpenEtymology