17th century, for “to swing, waver” (of the clapper of a bell), iterative formation from onomatopoeic bim-bam-bum for the sound of a bell; compare bimmeln (“to ring”). From this Low German bummeln (18th c.) in the contemporary sense. Related with baumeln (likely an alteration after Baum) and Bommel (“bobble”).^[1]

• IPA^(key): [ˈbʊml̩n], [ˈbʊməln]

• Audio:

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• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

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bummeln (weak, third-person singular present bummelt, past tense bummelte, past participle gebummelt, auxiliary haben or sein)

1. to slack, to dawdle
2. to stroll, to ramble

   Synonym: schlendern

3. archaic form of baumeln (“to hang slack, dangle”)

• Bummel
• Bummelzug
• Bummelant, Bummelantin
• Bummelantentum
• bummelig

• “bummeln” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “bummeln” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “bummeln” in Duden online
• “bummeln” in OpenThesaurus.de