Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “LOL” come from?

LOL (English) comes from English content, from Middle English content, from Latin contentus, from Latin contineo, from Latin cōn-, from Latin cum, from Old Latin com, from Proto-Italic kom — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

LOL (English): Laughing out loud; Lots of laughs; Lots of love

Definitions

  1. Laughing out loud; Lots of laughs; Lots of love

Ancestry of “LOL”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishcontentsatisfied; Satisfaction, contentment; pleasure;...
2Middle Englishcontent—
3Latincontentusstretched, strained, tense, tight, on the...
4LatincontineoI hold or keep together/close, surround, contain;...
5Latincōn-—
6Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
7Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
8Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
9Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
10Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
11Middle Englishkyt—
12Germankitt—
13Old High Germankuti—
14Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
15Proto-Germanickweduzresin
16Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
17Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “LOL”

  • LOLer
  • LOLsies
  • lolzies
  • lolcontent
  • LOL
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →