Origin: 1650–60; < French, equivalent to badin(er) to joke, trifle (verbal derivative of badin joker, banterer < Old Provençal: fool; bad(ar) to gape (< Vulgar Latin batāre;compare bay2) + -in < Latin -īnus-ine1) + -age-age
"light railery," 1650s, from Fr. badinage "playfulness, jesting," from badiner (v.) "to jest, joke," from badin "silly, jesting," from O.Prov. badar "to yawn, gape," from L.L. badare "to gape," from *bat-, the root of abash.