Waffle
late 17th century (originally in the sense ‘yap, yelp’): frequentative of dialect waff ‘yelp’, of imitative origin.
wiktionary
The noun is borrowed from Dutch wafel(“waffle; wafer”), [1] from Middle Dutch wafel, wafele, wavel, from Old Dutch *wāvila, from Proto-Germanic *wēbilǭ, *wēbilō, possibly related to Proto-Indo-European *webʰ-(“to braid, weave”) (whence Dutch weven(“to weave”) and English weave), and possibly reinforced by German Waffel(“waffle; wafer”). The English word is a doublet of wafer and gauffre.
The verb (“to smash”) derives from the manner in which batter is pressed into the shape of a waffle between the two halves of a waffle iron.
The verb is borrowed from Scots waffle(“to waver, flap, flutter; to cause to flap or wave; to move uncertainly, stagger, totter; (figuratively) to vacillate, waver; of the wind: to gust, especially in different directions; to crease, wrinkle; to confuse, tangle; to become limp or soft; a flapping, waving; a tossing about, as if by wind; weak gust of wind; light fall of snow; loosely woven or thin cloth; feeble person; flexible; feeble, weak”), [2] from waff(“to wag, wave; to flap, flutter; to agitate the air, to fan; of an air current or wind: to blow, waft; to set moving, drive; to scatter with a flapping or waving movement; flapping or waving movement, a flutter; signal made by waving; banner, flag; air current, draft, puff; material blown about by the wind; slight aroma, whiff; soft sound, murmur; quick view, glimpse; slight touch, glancing blow; mild illness; short experience (especially of something pleasant); apparition, ghost”) [3] + -le( diminutive or frequentative suffix). [4]Waff is derived from Early Scots waff(“signal; gust of wind; glimpse; a flapping, waving”), from Northern Middle English wafe, waffe, a variant of waven(“to move to and fro, sway; to stray, wander; (figuratively) to follow a weaving course; (figuratively) to vacillate, waver; to move something to and fro, wave”) (whence wave), from Old English wafian(“to wave”), [3] [5] from Proto-Germanic *wabōną, *wabjaną(“to sway; to wander”), from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ-(“to braid, weave”).
Regarding sense 5 (“to speak or write (something) at length without any clear aim or point”), compare Old English wæflian(“to talk foolishly”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Germanic *babalōną(“to babble, chatter”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰā-(“to say”) and/or Proto-Indo-European *baba-(“to talk vaguely; to mumble”). The Oxford English Dictionary does not derive the English word waffle from this Old English word.
The noun is derived from the verb. [6] [7]
Possibly from waff(“(dialectal) to bark, woof”) ( imitative of a dog’s yelp) [6] [8] + -le( diminutive or frequentative suffix).
etymonline
waffle (n.)
"kind of batter-cake, baked crisp in irons and served hot," 1744, from Dutch wafel "waffle," from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German wafel, from Proto-Germanic *wabila- "web, honeycomb" (source also of Old High German waba "honeycomb," German Wabe), related to Old High German weban, Old English wefan "to weave" (see weave (v.)). Sense of "honeycomb" is preserved in some combinations referring to a weave of cloth. Waffle iron is from 1794.
waffle (v.)
1690s, "to yelp, bark," frequentative of provincial waff "to yelp, to bark like a puppy" (1610); possibly of imitative origin. Figurative sense of "talk foolishly" (c. 1700) led to that of "vacillate, equivocate" (1803), originally a Scottish and northern English usage. Late 17c. Scottish also had waff "act of waving," variant of waft, which might have influenced the sense. Related: Waffled; waffler; waffling.
