When you get back to Akkadians, we're talking a seriously old word, bab-ilu (gate to god), and then the Hebrew Babhel.

When I see bab-ilu, I think Rickey Ricardo of I Love Lucy.

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 Some peoples singing skills are closer to babel than music.

20 hours ago, Bill W said:

Most commonly used when speaking about babies that are just learning to talk.  

The word probably came from what happened at the Tower of Babel when God gave everyone a different language so they could no longer communicate and continue building the tower to heaven.  After that happened, everyone merely began to babel and no one could understand anyone else.  

That's actually babble, but I would imagine it has the same origin.  

It's also one of my favorite Mumford and Sons songs.