Where does “laugh-out-loud” come from?
laugh-out-loud (English) comes from English loud, from Middle English loud, from Old English hlūd, from Proto-West Germanic hlūd, from Proto-Germanic hlūdaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱlewtos, from Proto-Indo-European ḱlew-, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.
laugh-out-loud (English): very funny; causing the listener to laugh aloud
Definitions
- very funny; causing the listener to laugh aloud
Ancestry of “laugh-out-loud”, step by step
laugh-out-loud traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English loud
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | loud | Of great intensity; Noisy; Not subtle or... |
| 2 | Middle English | loud | Alternative form of loude |
| 3 | Old English | hlūd | loud, noisy, sounding, sonorous |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | hlūd | loud; sound |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hlūdaz | loud; famous |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱlewtos | heard, famous |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱlew- | to hear |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |
via English out
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | out | Away from the inside, centre or other point of... |
| 2 | Middle English | oute | out |
| 3 | Old English | ūt | out |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *ūt | out, outward |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | ūt | out, outward |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | úd | out, outward |
via English laugh
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | laugh | An expression of mirth particular to the human... |
| 2 | Middle English | laughen | To laugh; to break out in laughter or laughing;... |
| 3 | Old English | hlæhhan | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | hlahhjan | to laugh |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hlahjaną | to laugh |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | klek- | to laugh, cackle |