Patter

In the sense of idle talk or chatter dates from the mid-19th century and derives from the much earlier etymological source of pater, an abbreviation of paternoster, Latin for the Our Father or The Lord’s Prayer, which dates back to the Late Middle Ages. Patter in the sense of mumbling one’s prayers dates from 1642 and eventually gave rise to patter as used today to mean idle chatter. Patter in the sense of rapid, repetitive sounds like raindrops against a window or the sound of footfalls derives from a different, purely echoic or imitative etymological source, and dates from the early 19th century. See also Pit-a-pat/Pitter-patter.