adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle
stumbling over words; fumbling one's speech; stuttering
Describes the manner of speaking haltingly, often due to nervousness or lack of fluency. Frequently used with 言う or 話す.
I was so nervous that I ended up giving the speech while stumbling over my words.
He always speaks with a stutter.
Katakana variant, sometimes used for emphasis or in casual writing.
Kanji form is rarely used; the kana spelling is strongly preferred.
Reduplication of 噛む (かむ, 'to bite'), literally 'biting biting', suggesting the image of one's words getting caught as if biting them. The exact derivation is uncertain, but it is a colloquial mimetic expression.