1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 257/2 Pratlynge, the speche of yonge chyldren, patoys.

1566 T. Drant tr. Horace Medicinable Morall ii. vii. sig. Jij Wilte thou not say, thou stretche hempe, thou whome thou meanes in thy pratlynge?

1588 G. Babington Profitable Expos. Lords Prayer vi. 484 Their priuie pratling to the hurt of their neighbours.

1605 A. Willet Hexapla in Genesin 367 Aged parents are delighted with the pratling and sport of young children.

1656 T. Blount Acad. Eloquence (ed. 2) 28 Doth not a commendations, a hat, a good word, a good morrow, purchase more hearts, then a moneths familiar pratling, with a flock of rude people?

1739 H. Baker & J. Miller Blunderer iv. iii. 129 Can'st thou not hold thy prattling, and let us go on with our Discourse?

1790 E. Burke Refl. Revol. in France 184 This prattling of theirs hardly deserves the name of sophistry. View more context for this quotation

1823 R. A. Milliken Ode to Lee in Poet. Fragments 4 Thy rushy margins whispering to the wind, Joined to the prattling of the slender brook.

1876 Ld. Tennyson Harold ii. ii. 42 Save for the prattling of thy little ones.

1932 ‘B. Ross’ Trag. of X iii. i. 224 Please bear with me if—since you have insisted on my prattling—I bring a somber note into this gay company by leaning on my inevitable reference for all the wisdom that has ever been uttered.

1950 S. Plath Jrnls. (2000) 19 I could sit by the hour listening to his prattling.

2005 Halifax (Nova Scotia) Daily News (Nexis) 11 Sept. (Sports section) 38 They just trot out their superlatives and think people like me..are supposed to swallow whole their silly prattlings.

1533 J. Heywood Play of Wether sig. Diii And saw me so prety a pratelynge lad.

1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. i^v He would..put those prattelinge pardoners to silence.

1581 N. Burne Disput. Headdis of Relig. (S.T.S.) 170 The daft Abbottis, gukkit Prioris, guseheaddit Personis,..and the pretland Prebendaris.

1632 W. Lithgow Totall Disc. Trav. i. 2 Pratling Parrots, and sounding Cymbals.

1696 P. A. Motteux Love's a Jest i. 12 Oh I wou'd still gaze on those dear damn'd bewitching Eyes, and hear that sweet pretty prattling Tongue.

1703 N. Rowe Fair Penitent v. i. 53 What Joys thou gav'st me in thy prattling Infancy.

1766 O. Goldsmith Vicar of Wakefield I. iv. 34 Our little habitation was..sheltered with a beautiful underwood behind, and a pratling river before.

1858 E. Capern Ballads & Songs (1859) 84 Beside that prattling brook.

1895 S. Crane Red Badge of Courage xxiv. 230 As he marched along..among his prattling companions this vision of cruelty brooded over him.

1913 W. Cather O Pioneers! ii. iii. 104 She could always find out more about Alexandra's domestic economy from the prattling maids than from Alexandra herself.

1999 Daily Mail (Nexis) 11 Jan. 12 Office doorways, until recently the refuge of banished cigarette smokers, are now equally haunted by prattling mobile users.

1876 Verses from Harvard Advocate 223 When I sing of the oak that is shading the stone From whose dear heart the clear water leaps prattlingly down.

1990 Washington Post (Nexis) 30 Dec. x8 Sometimes Ryan is prattlingly verbose, and he can too slackly push forward reminiscences and emotions.